For One Night of Peace
by shadowglove
Summary: Nights prove to be torturous for two mutants for two completly different reasons, but maybe together they can find one rare night of peace.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I disclaim**

**A/N: This is a oneshot that has been plaguing me ever since I realized that this 'ship-dom' actually has tons of potential. Both Scott and Rogue have similar problems---mutations that they cannot control by themselves…and in Rogue's case…she can't control hers at all. Both have to use something to interfere with their mutations to keep others safe. Rogue with her many layers of clothes, and Cyclops with his visor. If there was anyone who could understand Rogue the best it would be Scott.**

**The oneshot is based some months after the second movies and it contains some spoilers for the first and second movies, so if you don't want them to be 'spoiled' for you, you don't have to read this…but I would really appreciate it and love you if you did and gave me some nice reviews (hint hint nudge nudge).**

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He had left, again. But that was something that I was getting used to by now. He'd never really been a stable figure in my life, but now as I think things over, no one really has ever been a solid figure in my life. Not my family, no one. I'm a solitary person, but not by choice, my skin has cursed me that way.

I run my fingers through the curtains of my window, looking outside at the darkness below. Not even the moon was visible in the cloud-filled sky, and I had to smile darkly at the way the sky reflected my attitude when it came to my life. Everything was dark. No ray of hope could be visible through the dark clouds that only promised hurt and pain. But I was used to that…that was my life.

Some time has passed since our last mission, when the Doc died. Doc, God, I'm sounding like him again. But then again, I've never really gotten over the time he touched me on the tower, giving me some of his life and putting his own in danger. Since then I have gotten over some of his more visible characteristics, like the grumpiness and wanting to thrash any and everyone I saw, but other than that people believe that I am fine. They don't know that I never really give up everything of the people whom I have 'absorbed'. A part of them will always stay with me, changing me slightly, slowly molding me into the person I am to become.

Maybe it wasn't so bad that I still had part of him in me. That way, no matter how many times he left me, I would still have him here with me and I wouldn't feel so alone. Plus, the arguments between the part of him in me and the part of Magneto in me kept me from being bored. They were quite entertaining when they started arguing—which they did on a regular basis.

Going away from the window I looked down at Jubilee, my roommate, and watched enviously as she slept peacefully. Why couldn't I get a good night's sleep like that? Why? Why was it that every night I was unable to sleep, unable to think, unable to do anything else except look out of the window and pace my bedroom floor? I couldn't handle it anymore. All of this was going to drive me insane—if I am not insane already. What I wouldn't do for one night of peace!

Pulling my housecoat over my long pajama pants and long sleeve turtleneck shirt, I didn't really know why I did it. I even slept with my gloves on…and socks. God, the hot nights were torture for me, sleeping like this. Thankfully Jubilee was a great and understanding roommate, who wouldn't complain when I would turn up the AC, forcing her to wear more than the scanty little pajamas she usually wore.

Going to the door I looked at the doorknob as if it were the most interesting thing I had ever encountered, but my thoughts were on different things completely.

Fear. It had me keeping myself away from others. I was afraid of hurting them without wanting to. I remember the first guy I kissed, I remembered how that had hurt him, and from that day on I had known that I couldn't love, I couldn't have others love me either…which was why I was having a problem with Bobby. I cared for him, honestly I did. He was my boyfriend and loved me, and I cared deeply for him, but I knew that this was only going to hurt him. No matter how many times I told him this, no many times I had broken up with him, he would shrug it off and ignored the fact that I had broken up with him. He was stubborn, unnaturally so.

Reaching for the doorknob, I opened it slowly and then walked outside into the darkness of the halls. I didn't close the door, there was still a chance for me to return and continue pacing my room, but I felt so restless, like a caged animal. No. I had to get out.

Closing the door behind me as quietly as I could as to not disturb Jubilee, I looked at the hall both ways, wondering which direction to head in. Deciding to go right, I silently tried remembering how many nights I had been forced to walk myself all over Xavier's School for Talent Young People at night, sleepless. But the times were too many to count, so I stopped trying.

My mind wandered onto one of my favorite topics as I silently walked down the darkened corridor. Wolverine. Logan. Hero. I smirked at the face he would make at me if he knew I thought of him as my personal hero, but it didn't matter. He was my hero and I would always love him deep down inside. Still, my love for him was changing, and I didn't know if I was too happy with that. Unstable as he was, Logan had been an important person in my life, and his repeatedly saving my life had caused me to not only develop a visible and undeniable crush on him, but I had also made him my personal idol. I had been insanely jealous of the Doc because I knew that _he_ loved her, but now I could only feel admiration for the woman who had put our lives over hers and had saved us.

My fingers found themselves to the dog-tags I still wore around my neck, and my thoughts once more returned to Logan. Yes, I would always love him, but as I had said once before, loving would only hurt me and the person I loved. Some sick person had decided that I wouldn't ever be able to feel the touch of a loved one, and I had been doomed to a life of solitude.

So, considering this, the fact that I wasn't _in love_ with Logan anymore didn't seem so bad. Sure. I'd probably still idolize him the next time that he returned to make sure that I hadn't died or anything, but it wouldn't be the same and I know that he'd realize it as well. We have that sort of connection. I've never had it with anyone else. Then again, no one had ever given a fig about what happened to Rogue the mutant. No one except Wolverine…and now the people here with me...but Wolverine had cared for me first and that meant that he would always have a special place in my heart only for him.

I crossed a room and heard footsteps pacing impassively. Without looking at what room it was I knew who was up like I was. Every time I would come out I would hear him as he walked. Sometimes he would cry, and the sounds of his sobs made me feel more than I had felt in a long time now, because there was someone in this world that might understand me.

Standing in front of his door, I just looked at it in silence, imagining the man on the other side. He would be pacing back and forth, and impassive and tortured expression on his face, similar to the one on mine. Hours would pass and he'd continue that way until he would finally tire and go to sit down somewhere and read, or possibly look at her pictures and that would be when the tears returned.

I had to hand it to him, even though his life was torn; Scott Summers sure was a good actor. Everyone thought that he had gotten over his grief of losing Jean. Everyone thought that he was moving on with his life and had accepted the fact that the woman he loved was gone forever. But I knew better. Even while he was acting tough and in control during the day, I knew that at night, when he was without something to do to keep his mind occupied, Scott would break down and grieve over the loss of his Jean Grey.

Shaking my head, I walked away from that door and went down the stairs. I realized that every time I listened to him pacing in the night, or crying his pain over his lost love, I started admiring the man more. He was a strong one, in a sense he was stronger than Logan. Because Logan was afraid of loving and losing, he hid behind his tough "I'm a badass I don't cry" exterior. But not Scott, he had loved and lost. I admired him for taking the chance, for loving, for doing something that I was still too frightened to do.

Lost in my thoughts I really didn't know all of the parts of the school I visited, but I do know that I went to many, looking at them without really seeing them, lost to the images in my mind.

When I entered a certain classroom I do know that I couldn't help but get jarred out of my thoughts as I suddenly remembered Pyro. He'd never really been close to me, but he had been one of Bobby's best friends, and we _had_ gone on that last mission together, so I felt keen regret when I remembered how he had decided to join Magneto and Mystique, disappearing with them during our first and last mission.

Poor Pyro, he had always been the first one to step forwards and hurt a human who didn't like mutants. I remembered when he had tried to burst every cop in sight into flames right outside of Bobby's house. I had stopped him, draining him of some of his power. So yes, I had a part of Pyro within me as well.

This, of course, was a rather confusing mixture if there ever was any. There was Logan, Magneto, Pyro, and yes of course, Bobby. What a mixture of men inside of me, and men who saw life differently and argued their beliefs to the point that I got a headache and had to wish them away.

The first thing that told me that I had somehow walked outside of the school was the fact that I could feel the breeze on my face. That was refreshing, and I smiled sadly. The moon still wasn't visible and I really didn't know where I was, but I was guided by my senses, which had quickened ever since I had absorbed a part of Wolverine. So yes, I _had_ absorbed something other than his foul mood.

Frowning at the fact that I still wasn't the teensiest bit sleepy, I sighed. Maybe tonight was another sleepless night where I would toss and turn in bed, lost to my thoughts and memories.

"It isn't safe to be out here on your own like this. Especially in these dangerous times for mutants like us."

Twirling around at that voice, I placed hand to my heart, trying to will it from beating so wildly. "Mr. Summers! What are you doing out here?"

"The same reason you are I guess." This was the first time that I had seen him at night. The other times I had only heard him, imagining what he was doing. But this time I got to see him, and my heart went out to my mathematic teacher. His façade of 'control' was gone completely, and the only thing left of Scott Summers was messy hair, slumped shoulders, and an exhausted looking body. If I could see his eyes I knew that they would show the defeat and sorrow that his body language demonstrated.

"You couldn't sleep."

"But you already knew that."

I blushed slightly, realizing that he had somehow found out that I sometimes listened in on him. It would be stupid to lie up to this point, so I didn't deny it. I only pulled my housecoat tighter over my body and suddenly looked up at the sky, surprised that the moon was beginning to appear from its hidden place.

Scott walked to my right and looked up at the moon as well. For some reason the moon seemed to be rapidly coming out from behind the clouds. "I've always heard people talking about how beautiful the moon looks when it's turned as red as blood." He said and I wondered if he was talking to me or to himself. "But I don't know. The only color I remember seeing it is red."

Sorrow for him filled my soul and I returned placing my gaze on the moon. Just when you feel as if no one could ever have it worst than you could you actually find the unfortunate bugger. The thought of never seeing any color but red made me realize that I had taken my sight for granted. I couldn't touch, but I could see well—and Scott had it the other way around. He could touch all he liked, but he was forced to either wear his dark shades or his visor so that he could keep the rays coming out of his eyes from killing all those he loved. We both were a danger to people we loved, though in two different ways. "It's a beautiful silver tonight."

He smiled sadly. "Jean used to hate the night and the moon. She was always a sunny morning person, something I could never get used to."

This was the first time I had ever heard him mention the Doc since her heroic death, and so I hoped that the shock wouldn't register in my voice when I finally managed to say: "I'm more of a night person myself."

"I like the stars." Scott announced with a ghost of a smile, coming closer to me and throwing his head backwards, looking at the many stars in the sky. "When I was a kid on the streets I would just spend my nights shivering and looking up at them. I named them even. It was such a long time ago that I can't remember one name, wait a second, I think I actually named one Estelle. Can't by the life of me remember which one it was though."

A soft smile appeared on my face before I even knew that that had touched me. I'd heard so many people talking to Scott, trying to comfort him, while he stayed silent and seemingly trying to ignore them. I guess he had finally decided that he needed to talk, even if it was about the stars. Since I didn't mind the conversation or the company—no matter how odd both were—I stayed silent, realizing that I could best help Scott by just listening to him.

"Then, when Xavier found me and brought me here, I looked up at all the astrology books. I know every constellation up there." For a minute he sounded like the old Scott. "Not that I'm bragging or anything."

The smile deepened and I was surprised by this. I hadn't smiled—_really_ smiled—in a long time. It felt odd at first, as if I had gotten out of practice, but it grew more natural and I felt that it was more sincere as well. "Why didn't you become the astrology teacher then?"

"There isn't an astrology class." He shot back with a sad little smile, making me wonder what would make him smile happily once more; to become the happy man he used to be.

"True."

There were sounds in the bushes, and I stiffened while Scott took battle position. But only a stray cat appeared, racing away into the shadows with evident fear as if sensing that Scott could have easily pulverized it.

Scott relaxed somewhat. "That reminded me why I came out here in the first place." He said, returning once more to the tired and defeated man that he had become. "We should go inside. It used to be safe to be out here in the dark, but now, I wouldn't consider it safe even during the day."

I nodded and we went inside of the school once more. We walked in silence, both in our own perspective thought. For a minute I wondered what he was thinking of that left him so dejected, but then I scolded myself, because I _did_ know what it was. He was remembering Jean. Sadness filled my soul as I realized that here was a man who had loved with his whole heart, keeping nothing back. There weren't many people in this awful world like him. And people like Scott Summers shouldn't end up with a broken heart and shattered life. People like him should live a fairy-tale 'happily ever after' life.

Still lost in my thoughts, I remembered that I had always harbored a slight curiosity about the man behind the visor, but I had never tried to get to know him or become his friend because (A) Logan resented him and would have been angry if I wanted to be friends with him…and I didn't want Logan angry at me for anything under the sun (B) Jean probably would have thought that I was trying to be his friend for other reasons—which I wouldn't have. I respected people who were in relationships, and anyway, it wasn't as if I could have ever posed a threat to _anyone_. I was Rogue, the Untouchable.

We reached his bedroom without me even realizing it. The only thing that gave it away was that he had stopped, and I stopped as well and pulled out of my dismal thoughts to see why he had. For a split second I felt keen regret that he would be leaving me to my own thoughts once more.

Scott turned to open his door, and then he turned once more, looking uncertain for some reason or the other. "You still think of Wolverine." I nodded silently and then he continued. "I still think of Jean." He lowered his gaze before raising it once more and looked at me. I could _feel_ his eyes on me, something that surprised me. His voice was low and hoarse with sadness when he spoke again. "I don't want to be alone tonight."

I understood him immediately, because I didn't want to either. He wasn't asking for a night of passion, he was asking for a night in the company of someone who could understand him. That's when I realized that so did I. So nodding silently, I followed him into his room, despite the fact that this would seem so improper to everyone in this school and that Logan would kill me if he ever found out.

When the door closed behind me I looked around Scott's room. This was the first time that I had ever seen inside of it, and the presence of Jean that still lingered there hit me hard. He still had her pictures on the wall, and the opened door of the closet showed that her clothes hadn't been moved. And on the beauty table I saw makeup and different female beauty products. My heart went out for this man, who loved Jean so much that he hadn't been able to get rid of her things, no matter how many months had passed.

The light went off and he went to his bed and laid down. There was a moment of awkward silence as I just looked at him, watching him as he took off his visor—keeping his eyes closed tightly—and put on a sleeping mask. Once more my heart yearned to comfort the man who couldn't even sleep without fearing that his eyes would kill someone or hurt himself.

Walking towards the bed, I let my housecoat fall to the floor and I went under the sheets, realizing that Scott seemed to like the Air Conditioning as well. Since sleeping looking at him would probably be awkward for both of us, I turned so that my back was facing him, and I placed one arm under the pillow, turning it slightly so that I also had my other hand draped over it.

The moments of silence dragged on as I looked at his door, wondering if we should have locked it. Then again, no one would come barging into his room, so that thought was quickly erased. So, my eyes roamed the right half of the room, and they took in all the little touches of Jean that made this room still _theirs_.

Scott moved slightly behind me and I felt his hand go around my waist in a gesture that showed he was trying to comfort while receiving comfort for a while as well. Knowing that there was nothing sexual in this, I allowed him to hug me from behind and fall asleep in that position. I allowed him to dream that it was Jean he was sleeping with and not me. But surprisingly, I realized that this contact was making me feel better than I ever had.

Deciding that as long as I didn't roll in my sleep he was safe, I began nodding off to sleep. The last thing I remembered before sleep conquered me was Scott holding me closer in a protective and loving embrace. For the first time since I could remember, I fell into a peaceful sleep which lasted the whole night through with a contented smile upon my face.

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**I hope that you enjoyed it! PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE! I LIVE OFF OF REVIEWS AND CUPS OF NOODLES! Lol.**


	2. Chapter 2 Bad News

**Disclaimer: I disclaim. I do not own anything that has to do with the X-Men. Really, I don't. I'm telling the truth. Honestly. Stop looking at me like that! Lol.**

**Kristy: Ya, both have suffered and know similar pain. **

**Rapunzel34: Okay then, I won't make a sequel, I'll just add a couple of chapters to this oneshot—making it a multi-shot—or not? Okay, it's official, I've just confused myself…**

**Diamond Jedi: You got the point! Yep, but who knows, maybe all they needed to heal was each other...**

**_A/N: Since I was asked to write more I shall write a couple of more chapters for my reviewers. Smiles. I really don't think that this will be a long story…_**

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Blinking into the present, Rogue looked around her silently, slightly lost. The memory of that night two months ago had come back with such reality that she was surprised to realize that it was only a memory. A soft smile appeared on her face as her fork aimlessly chased the food around her plate, and she propped her chin on her palm. The nights were better now; she could sleep peacefully wrapped in Scott's protective arms every night.

Frowning at the thought of how Bobby would react if he knew about how she spent her nights, innocent or not, Rogue bit her bottom lip. It wasn't as if she was sleeping '_sleeping'_ with Scott, they were just _sleeping_. How could she confess this to Bobby and explain it to him when she couldn't really keep from confusing _herself_ when she thought it over.

_ Oh well. I need this. It's not as if I am cheating on Bobby. I **need** Scott to be able to sleep._

Shaking her head, smile growing, she remembered the night after the first once that they had spent together.

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_ Once more Rogue was pacing up and down relentlessly in her room, giving a snoring Jubilee dirty and envious looks. Sighing, she looked at the door and stopped pacing, just looking at it as if she was trying to see through the thick wood. But once more her thoughts weren't on what her eyes were staring at, except, she was fighting her inner self. _

_ Making a face of self-disgust, she sighed and then paced once more, telling herself that last night had been excusable. Both of them were hurt and they'd slept innocently together, and she'd awoken before dawn and returned to her room—unable to return to sleep. Now she felt as if the same thing was going to happen all over again. She couldn't even get herself to close her eyes for more than a couple of seconds. As usual, she was full of life and energy at the wrong time, and she knew that tonight she would once more suffer for it._

_ Her mind wandered on last night, and she smiled slightly remembering how wonderful she had slept. How long had it been since she could say that she had actually spent the whole night sleeping peacefully and not tossing and turning and cursing the fates?_

_ But tonight, there was no excuse for the same thing to happen once more. She couldn't just very well get herself together and walk to his room, knock on his door and say "I can't sleep" then ask him if they could sleep together again. Sure, that was all they did. Sleep. But that was the best sleep she had ever had in her life, and the memory was killing her. It was as if the moment her head had hit the pillow she'd felt the sleep that evaded her just rush on her, as if rewarding her for something or the other._

_ Fisting her hands, the young woman suddenly looked at her gloves and stopped walking. All previous thoughts ran from her mind as a pained expression covered her face. Her eyes went to Jubilee's sleeping figure and she remembered how she'd caught Jubilee and her boyfriend Kurt together, kissing, caressing each other, doing all the things that plagued Rogue in her dreams._

_ Tears demanded release, but the woman just brushed them away with the back of her hand, dampening her gloves. Intense hate filled her body as she looked at the gloves, and on impulse she did something she had never done before. She jerked the gloves off of her hands and flung them angrily across the room. It was unfair. What had she ever done to deserve this punishment?_

_ Collapsing into a sitting position on her bed, her slumped and defeated figure was backlit by the moon, which had surprisingly decided to appear from behind the clouds. Actually, it was shinning brighter tonight than she could ever remember. Why was it so bright tonight when she was feeling so horrible?_

_ Silent tears fell down her pale cheeks as she sat still on the bed. She'd learnt the art of silent tears, as to not awaken her roommate. It had been difficult at first, but she'd had many sleepless nights for practice, and now she could cry for hours without making a single sound that would betray her._

_ Wiping away at the tears once more, she was shocked to feel the wetness on her bare skin, because she had forgotten that she had taken off the gloves. For a moment she just watched transfixed, watching the tears drops glide off of her skin and down to her lap. She could finally feel something without hurting someone. Reveling in that thought, a sad smile appeared on her face._

_ With her head tilted, Rogue wondered what happened when Scott cried._

_ Her thoughts returning to Scott, the young woman wiped her eyes dry and then wiped her wet hands on her pajama pants. What was he doing right at this moment? Was he walking up and down, sleepless like she was? Was he crying while looking at all the things that reminded him that Jean wasn't there with him anymore? Or had he, by some miracle, found peaceful sleep?_

_ Feeling betrayed at the very thought, she pushed it away and then turned to look at the dark corner where she had unjustly thrown the gloves. A sigh escaped her tired lips as she got up and walked towards them, finding the gloves, and very reluctantly putting them on once more._

_ Flexing her now gloved hands, Rogue forced herself to look at them. This was the way that it would always be, and it was about time that she stopped wishing for a cure that wouldn't come, and just got used to the fact._

_ 'Along with the little fact that I will never sleep peacefully at night. God I'm blessed.' She thought sourly, going beginning to pace the room once more. For the thousandth time that night, she could understand what a lion locked up in a zoo felt._

_ Suddenly there was a soft knock on her door and Rogue twirled around on her heels, eyes wide open. That couldn't have been knocking! Who would be knocking on her door at this time in the night? But then again the knocking came, this time slightly more confident and pronounced than the other._

_ Raising an eyebrow, Rogue made her way towards the door and slowly opened it. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open at what she saw. There, standing in her doorway, was Scott Summers, wearing boxers, a baggy T-shirt, and his dark shades, the ones he wore when he wasn't using his visor. He looked as worse for the wear as she probably did._

_ For a moment they just stared at each other in silence, before he finally whispered: "I can't sleep."_

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Once more brought to the present, Rogue smiled vaguely at Bobby, who was looking at her oddly. They were supposed to be watching a movie together, but he seemed to be watching her more than the movie. She ran her fingers playfully on his arm, causing him to shiver slightly. At least now he didn't look as odd as he had moments ago, staring at her so intently.

He was doing this almost constantly lately and she wondered why. It was as if he wanted to ask her something but just wouldn't do so. Rogue sighed, squeezing his hand with her gloved one. It was probably his problems with his parents again. They had disowned him, said that they only had _one_ son now, and that had taken a terrible toll on poor Bobby. A sad smile touched her face as she remembered the secret conversations she had been having with Mrs. Drake via telephone. Secretly Rogue had been communicating with Mrs. Drake, informing the suffering mother how her son was. Rogue just hoped that the woman would speak to Bobby herself. It would make him so happy to hear that she still cared for him.

Bobby finally opened his mouth, as if about to say what had been on his mind for so long, but a commotion drew their attention to the X-Men, as they entered the TV Room. Rogue's sad smile turned genuine when she saw them. They had returned! And they were safe! Her eyes connected with dark shades that had sought her out immediately as he entered the TV Room. A slight smile touched his face and she knew that hers was beaming.

_ Scott is safe_.

Bobby pulled away slightly. Rogue realized this and broke eye-contact with Scott to turn and look at Bobby, clearly confused. His only answer to her silent question was a sad smile. "Bobby, is there something that--."

But Professor Xavier's voice broke into their conversation. "Rogue, would you please join us in my office?"

Giving Bobby's hand another squeeze, she turned to the man in the wheelchair and nodded, getting up from the sofa. Her mind was on Bobby and his odd behavior as she silently followed the X-Men and Professor Xavier into his office. She could feel Scott watching her silently; with intent confusion, but for some reason she didn't look in his direction or even acknowledge that he was in the room.

Professor Xavier spoke. "Rogue, I realize that you must be wondering why I have asked you to join us."

Her head shot up and she blinked, suddenly remembering where she was. Playing nervously with her hands, she licked her lips before nodded rather mechanically. "Uh, um, yeah. The question did pop up in my brain once or twice." _Liar_.

The professor smiled, as if he had read her thoughts. But then his smile suddenly disappeared from his face and it grew grave. The old man in the wheelchair looked up at the X-Men silently before turning his gaze upon her once more. "As you know, the X-Men have been gone for some weeks, and that they were on a confidential assignment of top-importance."

Rogue nodded with a confused frown on her face, wondering where he was getting at. By now she was desperately playing with her hands, something she always did when nervous or uncomfortable, and she was feeling both at the same time.

He seemed to be thinking about how to say it, and then he just went for blunt truth, something that Rogue appreciated greatly. "All this time the X-Men have been stationed at a friend of mine in Russia…with Logan."

At that name Rogue lost her breath and all color drained from her face. "Lo—Logan?"

His face grew even graver. "Yes, Rogue. Logan contacted me some weeks ago saying that he had found some information about his past and that it led him to someone who had gone to reside in Russia. It seemed that this person was someone who used to teach in this very institution once. His name was Mr. Achilles Quid, and Quid believed that his life was in danger. So I sent the X-Men to accompany Logan to Japan where they were supposed to find Mr. Quid and have a chat with him. But something went wrong, Rogue."

Her feet were wobbling so much that she would have fallen to the ground if she hadn't taken a seat. Now sitting at eye-level with eth professor, Rogue felt fear rising in her body at the sad look in those old eyes. "What happened professor? Is Logan alright? Is he hurt? Is he dead?"

Sympathy for her filled his eyes and then he turned and looked directly at Scott, who had been trying his best to hide in the dark corner of the room. "I think that you are the most appropriate person to tell her this, Scott." Everyone except Scott and Rogue seemed surprised at this, since no one knew of their nightly visits. Well, apparently no one but _Professor Xavier_ knew about them.

If she hadn't been so frightened she would have blushed, but Rogue's mind was on other more important things as she quickly turned in the seat to look at Scott, who was looking very uncomfortable. Her eyes pleaded with him to tell her, to say something! Why was he looking at her like that? What had happened?

Clearing his throat, Scott looked at her silently, millions of words in his silence. "Things were fine for a couple of days. Everything was perfect except for the fact that Mr. Quid was extremely nervous, frightened of every shadow. He told us that he'd known Logan before—before they had taken and experimented with him. He said that Logan had been a friend of his, or a friend of some sorts. Logan wanted to know more, but Mr. Quid was so frightened of something that he wouldn't say anything much."

Storm nodded, as if wanting to back up her leader. "We tried getting him to tell us of whom he was so afraid, but Mr. Quid would only clam up even more."

_ But you are supposed to be the invincible X-Men! Scott, you're the all-mighty leader! _

Getting up to her feet, Rogue took a couple of steps towards Scott and then faltered when she _felt_ the sorrow emanating off of him. Why was he filling her in on all of these useless details? She wanted him to get down to the point like Professor Xavier had done! "What _happened_, Mr. Summers?"

He flinched at the fact that she had called him by that name, and not by Scott, as she had whenever they were together. It was as if he had expected her to do so. Clearing his throat, Scott raked his long lean fingers through messy hair. "The night that Quid decided that he was going to talk, he received a note that said that he would die if he spoke, but he didn't tell us until it was too late. Then strange things started happening. We were attacked, and Quid was taken. Logan wouldn't allow them to take him without a fight, and they injured Logan and took him as well."

Horror filled her body and she closed her eyes tightly, trying to keep back the tears that were trying to come out. "_No_." Backing away blindly, she felt someone guide her back to the chair, and by the gentle, feminine hands, she guessed that it was Storm.

_ You're lying. I know you're lying! That cannot be true! Logan is alright! I know it!_

Professor Xavier took over once more. "I used Cerebro and located where Logan and Quid are being held. They are in a secret facility hidden somewhere in a small village in Japan. The X-Men will be leaving to go there shortly, but considering how import Logan and you are for each other, I wanted to know if you would like to go with them."

Head jerking up at that, Rogue wiped away at her foggy vision and nodded furiously. "Yes, yes, I want to go."

As if knowing that she would answer this, Xavier nodded wisely. "This is good. The village that you will be visiting is very shut out from modern civilization and they are very strict in their ways. Scott and you will pose as spouses and look for information on the location of the hidden laboratory." He then wheeled himself out and when Rogue finally looked back up she discovered that only Scott and herselves where in Xavier's office.

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For a moment all Scott could do was look at her. It had been so long since he'd seen her, so many sleepless nights, but yet here she was, looking at him as if he had betrayed her. It rent at his heart to see her looking at him that way. She had become his best friend, and he depended very much on her. Rogue was his support.

Fiercely wiping at her tears, she glared at him. "Why didn't you tell me before you left? Why didn't you tell me that you were going to be with Logan? Why?"

"Rogue…" Scott came towards her and pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly against him until her struggles died out and she began crying into his chest, hugging him back. Placing his chin on top of her head, he breathed in her smell, something he would do faithfully every night when they slept together.

"_Why didn't you tell me?_" She whispered.

"I really didn't know what this mission was about, but I did know that if you knew that it had to do with Logan you would worry. I didn't want you worrying." He was also jealous of her connection with Logan. Scott considered Rogue his best friend—even though most didn't know of their friendship—and the thought that Logan's friendship was most probably valued more than his had angered him.

"I still should have been told." She said softly as she looked up at him. Her eyes were red and there were angry blotches on her skin from having cried. "Logan--."

"Yes I know that he is important for you." Once again that jealousy hit him deep in the gut, but he kept it well hidden and used his gloved hand to gently brush away at a tear that was falling silently down her soft cheek. "I just didn't want you to worry."

"But I had reason to worry." Rogue announced in a teary sigh, placing her cheek against his chest once more. "Logan and this other man who knows of his past are both captured by unknown assailants. Knowing Logan's temper he won't be too co-operative with his captors and that could mean danger for him."

"Wolverine can take good care of himself, he's used to it." Scott offered as a means of comfort. "Don't worry about him. We'll breeze into Japan, find out his whereabouts, free them and return here in a blink of an eye. Now go rest and pack your things." He gave her another render squeeze and watched as she nodded and walked towards the door, leaving him alone in Xavier's office wondering if he should be so sure of what he'd just told her.

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**Okay, did you like? Please review! I love reviews! I adore reviews!**

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	3. Chapter 3 Confusing Feelings

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything or anyone from X-Men.**

**Chica De Los Ojos Cafe: I'm glad that this story has touched you! I'll see where the story and its characters take me and I hope that you will like the rest of it as you have liked the beginning. Me encanto los dichos que tienes en tu pagina.**

**Baby12: I'll try updating soon, I promise you that.**

**Rapunzel34: Yes, you should never rush into anything, especially if it has to do with love (as **if** I can really talk about that).**

**Elle457: I am glad that you like it, poet at heart. Lololol.**

**Nicki-hunny: Thank you, thank you, and thank you. Here's the update you have requested.**

**A/N: I want to thank all of my readers and reviewers who have been so wonderful and encouraging with me. You have all been great to me. Kisses to all.**

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"Bobby, you've got to understand that I _have_ to do this." Rogue announced rapidly after explaining to him why she was packing her suitcase. She didn't even allow him to digest this before nervously rushing into her next sentence. "I know that you don't like how caught-up I am when it comes to Logan, and I know that we usually get into arguments about him, but I _need_ to go and find Logan. He could be dead for all we know and I'll never forgive myself if I don't take this chance and go with the X-Men to find him. I know that this means we'll be apart for an indefinite amount of time but I--."

"Calm down Rogue." Bobby announced, interrupting her rapid flow of words, holding his hands in the air as if trying to protect himself from them, amusement coating his words. "I understand you and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"—have to make sure that he is okay and—_what_?" Her eyes widened and she collapsed into a sitting position on her bed. Had she been so nervous all evening and had spent the whole time coming up with a speech that she was sure he couldn't argue with…and it was all for _nothing_? "You _understand_?"

His sad smile grew a little more genuine as he sat down next to her, placing his arm around her shoulder. For a moment he looked ahead in silence, as if enjoying this moment more than any of the other times that they had been together. "Yes, I do. Rogue, I know that I've been very _clingy_ lately, and that I used to be very jealous, but then I've realized something."

"What?"

"You're happy." Hearing her confused silence, Bobby nervously cleared his throat and continued before he regretted it and took everything back. This was hard enough as it was, and he was praying for strength to continue strong, to be confident, if not for him, for her. "I love you, Rogue, and I know that you love me too, just not like I love you. I used to hope that you would learn to love me that way in time, but you always kept something locked away from me." He knew that she was about to protest this, but he stopped her from lying just to make him feel better. "Rogue, all these months you have been a wonderful girlfriend to me. But most of all, you've been the best friend I have ever had in my life. You've been by my side, never wavering, never leaving me alone with my depressing thoughts. You've made sure that I was happy and was always unselfish when it came to me. And now, I need to be unselfish and do something for _you_—even though it will kill me to do it. You've talked my mother into calling me, into deciding to come and spend some time at Xavier's school for Gifted Young People, to give mutants a chance. You're a special woman, Rogue, and just thinking of all the reasons that I love you and should keep you chained to my side are making this so much harder."

Frowning in confusion, Rogue returned to her sitting position and looked into his eyes, trying to find the answer in them to her many questions. Worrying at the sadness that she found in those beautiful eyes, she began to become slightly frantic. The fact that his mother was going to be living at the school didn't even register in her mind, which was fogged with worry. "_Bobby_?"

As if guessing that she couldn't take the suspense any longer, Bobby sighed sadly and looked deeply into her eyes. "Rogue, I'm letting you go."

Those five words shook Rogue's world so hard that she had to hold onto his arm with a gloved hand. When her world stopped spinning, she knew that she must have heard him wrong. Bobby _couldn't_ be breaking up with her! "_What_?"

Bobby's smile grew sadder as he saw realization fill her widened eyes. "I've been noticing that _you're_ happy now. You've been different these past few months and at first I wondered if it had to do with me…then I realized that both you and Mr. Summers have some sort of bond. That had me insanely jealous for the first few months. But now I see a whole new Rogue appearing, one that I like, and whom I'm happy to know. After much denial I finally had to admit that it's because of _him_ that you are changing into a better person." His eyes were teary as he continued. "I love you, Rogue, and I have to show you that by letting you go."

Her words were barely audible when she whispered: "Scott and I are only friends."

"I know that. I know that you wouldn't ever cheat on me, Rogue, you're above that. You're special in more ways than you could ever know." Bobby responded in a voice hoarse from trying to keep back tears. "But Mr. Summers has been able to do something that I haven't. You need him, and I won't stand in your way anymore."

Lowering her eyes, Rogue felt tears but she held them back, accepting Bobby's gift. "Thank you Bobby." On impulse and custom, she threw her arms around his shoulders and his arms went around her body, pulling her against him. She felt his tears and it caused her to find it harder to keep hers back.

There was a soft and quick knock on the door before it opened, revealing Scott in the doorway. Both Rogue and Bobby looked up at him in surprise, and Rogue wondered about the strange aura she felt around him. But Scott just looked at them and then cleared his throat. "I, uh, I came to make sure that you were feeling alright after what happened this evening."

"I'm fine."

"I can see that." Scott Summers announced in a clipped voice that didn't sound anything like his usually teasing one. He then briefly nodded, acknowledging Bobby's presence, before turning around and leaving as abruptly as he had come, leaving the door wide open as he strode away.

Rogue, not understanding what had just happened, frowned. "I wonder what happened to him."

Getting up from the bed, Bobby looked in the direction that Scott had taken off to. For some moments he watched Scott until he disappeared, then he turned to look at a confused Rogue. "He cares for you. He's jealous."

Rogue snorted, a little smile appearing on her face at the ridiculous thought that Scott Summers would be jealous. "Bobby Drake, Scott and I are just friends. There would be no explainable reason for him to be jealous."

Bobby looked at her in contemplative silence before shaking his head and then returning to look in the direction where Scott had disappeared to.

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_ What is wrong with me?_ That question plagued Scott's mind as he stomped down the hallway. The encounter in Rogue's room had happened hours ago but still his hackles rose every time he remembered opening the door and finding her in Bobby's embrace. Scott shook his head, trying not to remember the tenderness and love that he had seen in that hug. _I don't have any reason to be acting this way_! Rogue and Bobby were boyfriend and girlfriend, they had been that for a long time now, so why was it that when he'd seen them together he'd sensed a feeling of dislike so great he wanted to do something that would have only embarrassed him till his dying days?

He'd been jealous. There was no other word for the feeling that had hit him deep in his gut, and which was still churning every time his thoughts ventured on Rogue—which it had been doing a lot these past three months. It had become so common for him to think of her that he hadn't thought it odd. She was his best friend, the only one who could bring him the peace he needed to sleep. But lately, he realized that his feelings, the way he thought and looked at her, well, they weren't the way he would look at a friend or feel for one. He was beginning to care deeper for her, and he felt guilty as hell. He loved Jean, he would always love Jean…but how could he explain the fact that he was beginning to have feelings for _Rogue?_

Staring ahead of him at nothing at all, Scott continued his rounds, making sure that every student was safely inside of their rooms and hopefully asleep. It was a tiring job, with so many rooms and students to keep a track of, but he welcomed this because it gave him enough time to get his thoughts straightened. His new feelings were going to be nothing but trouble, especially since this new assignment had him and Rogue pretending to be spouses.

Stopping for a moment, Scott looked down at his feet, thinking about that. Married… Rogue and him... That was the oddest idea he had ever heard, and he wondered how he was going to pull it off. This mission was going to prove to him all the reasons why a relationship of any sort except friendship between Rogue and himself would be impossible. For one, she was Rogue the Untouchable, as she liked to call herself. For two, there was Jean.

_ But Jean is dead_.

Bobby then. There was Bobby.

_ He's very much alive_.

Yes, Bobby was alive, and if that hug said anything, it spoke volumes about the loving relationship those two had.

"Scott! Oh, there you are! I've been looking for you everywhere." Turning to the sound of his name, he saw Storm coming up towards him. "I'm glad I found you. Xavier wanted me to inform you that Mrs. Drake will be coming to spend some time with us, just so that you won't be surprised when you see a new face amongst us."

The name didn't ring any bells until once more, the memory of some hours ago resurfaced. "Bobby Drake's mother?"

"Yes."

Scott, who prided himself on having an excellent memory, made a face. "I thought that his whole family shunned him when they found out that he was a mutant."

"They did." Storm announced with a nod of her head. "But it seems that Rogue has been talking to Mrs. Drake and has convinced her to move here and spend some time with her eldest son—something that Xavier was hoping would happen."

"_Rogue_ convinced her?"

"Yes. Bobby sure is a lucky boy to have a girl that loves him enough to do that for him." Storm smiled genuinely and then walked off, leaving Scott to his own disturbing thoughts.

Yes, there was no denying of it now. Scott Summers was _very_ jealous.

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It was later than when she would usually be sleeping with him, but for some reason Rogue couldn't get herself to go out of her door. She looked at the doorknob as if it would burn her, and she made a face, walking back towards her bed and throwing herself on it. A sound from Jubilee made Rogue turn to look at her and Rogue couldn't help but wonder what was happening in her roommate's dreams. Was she dreaming of Kurt?

Groaning, the young woman got up and went to the window, looking out at the dark sky. There wasn't even one star visible. Leaning towards the window, she breathed on the glass and watched as it fogged up. Running her gloved fingers over the foggy area she drew little doodles and watched as they disappeared little by little. This was something that she would do when younger, and some nights, she would do so again. It was some sort of therapy for her.

Hearing the grandfather clock down the hallway chiming one in the morning, Rogue made a face and looked around the room, wondering when she was going to see it again. In a couple of days? In a couple of weeks? They would be traveling early tomorrow morning and didn't know when they would be able to return. Rogue suddenly realized that she would miss this place.

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Hearing the grandfather clock close to his room chime one in the morning, Scott sat up in his bed, eyes (red from lack of sleep) trained faithfully on the door. Even though he looked calm on the outside, millions of questions were racing through his brain. Like the ones that said that Rogue should have been here by now. That they were usually sleeping peacefully at this hour. He frowned. What was she doing? Wasn't she going to come?

The weeks he had spent away from her had been filled with sleepless nights, and he knew that this night wouldn't be any different if he didn't have her by his side. _What if she's spending her last night there with him_? That thought entered his mind and Scott's face grew into an angry frown. Had she decided to stay with Bobby while Scott had been gone on his last mission, and had found that she slept better with Bobby than with him? What if she would never come back to sleep by his side again?

Refusing to believe this, Scott threw off his sheets so that he could go and look for her himself…drag her back if need be. But when he was searching everywhere in the darkness for his other night slipper, he heard the door creak open and turned to see Rogue enter his room and shyly lock the door behind her. A smile appeared on his face when he realized that he had just been torturing himself. She wasn't going to sleep with Bobby; she was coming here to _him_.

"Hi." Rogue whispered as she came towards him and climbed into the bed. Pulling up the sheets from where he had thrown in, she squirmed around until she had finally found a comfortable position. Straightening the sheets so that they were covering them both, she turned to look at him in expectant silence.

"Hey." He smiled sheepishly, scratching behind his ear. "Look, about this evening. I'm sorry for interrupting you and your boyfriend. I should have waited until I heard someone say 'come in' before charging inside."

"Don't worry about it."

Lying down as well, Scott closed his eyes for a moment before looking at her once more. Pulling off his visor, he reached on the night table for his sleeping mask and put it on."So you didn't get into problems with your boyfriend? He didn't ask you why one of your teachers just barged into your room?"

"In two months you will have become my _ex_ teacher." Rogue told him as-a-matter-of-factly, as if he didn't already know by heart the date of her graduation. "And _no_, he didn't get angry. We were just caught up in what we were talking about."

Not knowing whether to feel happy or insulted about the fact that Bobby didn't consider him a threat, Scott decided to talk about safer topics. "I heard that Bobby's mother is going to be spending some time here now."

"Yes." Rogue beamed, sounding happier than she had for a long time. "I'm so happy for both of them." Yawning, she rolled in bed and turned her back on him. "Goodnight Scott."

By now, placing his arm around her waist as they slept had become a ritual, but still, tonight he felt jittery and nervous as he performed this ritual. "'Night Rogue."

There was some silence for a couple of minutes and Scott thought that she had nodded off to sleep, but then Rogue's sleepy voice surprised him. "Scott?"

"Yes?" He yawned, cuddling closer.

"I missed you."

By the time he was able to finally find words to say something back to Rogue, he heard her shallow breathing and knew that she was asleep. He imagined the peaceful look on her sleeping face and his hand went from around her waist to caress her soft hair. Leaning in he closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her shampoo—which had become one of his favorite scents. It was a lovely flowery scent, unlike the 'fresh citrus' smell that Jean had always loved.

Placing his arm around her waist once more, Scott suddenly realized how often of late that he had subconsciously been comparing Rogue to Jean. Both were such different women that he didn't think that this was a rather successful comparison.

Jean was friendly, outgoing, and somewhat of a flirt when she had wanted to be. Rogue, on the other hand, was introverted, with a smile that made his life brighten, and hidden humor she would only bring out whenever he was beginning to get depressed by Jean's absence.

But lately, the depression had disappeared for good, and Scott was realizing that little by little, he was accepting Jean Grey's death and learning to live without her. That didn't mean that he didn't love her anymore—he would always love Jean—it just meant that he had realized that life would go on without her, and that he had much life still left to live.

A soft smile appeared on his face as he closed his eyes and tightened his protective grip around Rogue's waist. As always, when he was with her, peace seemed to invade his body, and he felt himself giving into the need to sleep. His last thoughts before falling to sleep were: _I missed you too, Rogue._

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**I hoped that you liked it! Please review! I'd love it if you reviewed!**

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	4. Chapter 4 It can't be!

**Disclaimer: No I don't own. You've got to believe me. I never created any of the X-Men, neither their comic book nor movie-verse adventures. I only own this plot. Really. I'm telling the truth…**

**Chica De Los Ojos Café: Well, yes. I thought about making Bobby the awful "I won't ever let you go" boyfriend that I've read about in so many Rogue/Logan or even Rogue/Scott fanfics…but when it came to writing, I just know that he actually cares about her and would let her go…especially if she got his mother to come. So. I could only write a wonderful Bobby…call me a blasted romantic if you wish…**

**Rapunzel34: Well, you see, the secret of the whole matter is that lately I've been suffering from what Rogue and Scott are---insomnia. So since I can't sleep I just write about them. Lol. That's the secret to why the chapters are quick. I don't know if they'll be so rapid when I get to sleep again at nights though…**

**Baby12: I'm glad you thought this chapter was cute. If I'm insomniac once more tonight then I do believe that you will be getting a new chapter soon.**

**LilyLioness: I'm going to continue. I hope that this will be a nice and short little story that you all will like and review (hint hint).**

**Mechelle-VanPatten: You're hooked! I'm so glad! Yeah, I couldn't just have them easily forgetting and getting over the people that they used to love so dearly. I shall try updating soon…**

**Jenny: That's because the "M" rating hasn't come into affect as YET. I wanted this story to begin more as an innocent romance, since they still cared for others. I really couldn't have them snogging each other in the first chapter. But, as their feelings deepen for each other, well, then the "M" rating will come into affect. I hope you continue reading the story until then and beyond.**

**A/N: I am sooo sorry for not having updated quicker, but the other nights have been spent sleeping peacefully, and tonight I am once more insomniac and bored. So here I am writing the chapter that should have been posted a long time ago. Please do forgive the inexcusable tardiness on my part. **

**IMPORTANT NOTICE! This chapter contains a SLIGHT (and I mean SLIGHT) lime. For those people who don't like it, you have been warned. For those who do…enjoy. **

**PLUS! Two surprises happen in this chapter!**

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Waking up would have been easier if it hadn't been so early in the morning. Also, he'd been having a very pleasant dream that left him flustered and rather frustrated when he felt the object of said dream sleeping innocently by his side, ignorant to the things that had occurred between them in his dream. Scott tightened his grip around Rogue's waist and inhaled her enchanting scent once more, suddenly realizing all of the reasons why he shouldn't do just that. One of those reasons being that in his dream things had started out innocently like that and when he'd awoken he'd been in the middle of using whip cream and cherries for _very_ naughty reasons.

Scott Summers was suddenly jerked out of his thoughts when he heard something. Paying more attention to the young woman lying besides him, the handsome young man frowned as he felt Rogue groaning and moaning in her sleep, tossing and turning as if she was in a competition of some sort. For a moment he wondered if she was having the same dream he had, but scratching that possibility out right away, he began to worry.

Reaching blindly for his shades, Scott found them and closed his eyes tightly while pulling off his sleeping mask and putting them on. When he was sure that everything was safe he looked at Rogue and frowned even more when he saw the look on her sleeping face. Usually, a sleeping Rogue was a peaceful Rogue, but this was a different girl altogether.

Worry and fear was etched into her every feature. What was she dreaming of? What she alright? He was about to wake her up when he heard her whispering one thing under her breath, that caused his eyes to narrow in hurt.

"_Logan_!"

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_ "Marie..." Only one person in the world ever called her that, and Rogue twirled around to desperately try and find the source of that voice. "Marie…"_

_ "Logan?" There wasn't much of anything except for darkness. Stretching out her hands in front of her to keep from bumping into any objects that might be near, the young woman lowered her voice to a hiss, remembering that wherever Logan was he was being held against his will and those people could be up in there still with him. "Logan where are you?"_

_ "They'll get you, Marie." The voice said from the darkness. "Stay away."_

_ Stopping, she frowned and blinked when all of a sudden the lights came on. There, right before her eyes, she saw Wolverine in a cage, looking rather miserable and beaten. He was still in the process of self-healing, which meant that the beating he'd received must have been fresh. "Logan!"_

_ "Marie." Looking up at her in rather shock, he looked around quickly. "How can you be here?"_

_ "I think this is some sort of a dream." The young woman announced, going towards the cage and bending down. Grabbing hold of the bars she jerked them with all her might, but she knew that if Logan hadn't been able to free himself she was just joking with herself to think that she could._

_ "Shh." Logan growled, sounding very much like an irritated elder brother. "You'll let them know you're here."_

_ "But we're dreaming…"_

_ "Don't ask me how I know that they'd know, I just do." Trying to find a comfortable position in the small cage seemed fruitless, so he just leaned forwards and spoke to her after having indulged himself to a few choicely curse words. "Something about this abduction isn't right, Marie. Not that I'm saying that anything about any abduction is right. It's just that my instincts are telling me to be more careful than usual. Also, the many questions rolling in my brain right now are just plain ticking me off."_

_ "What do you mean?" Sitting down next to the cage, Rogue looked into his deep eyes, trying to understand how this could be so real if it was only a dream. Logan sounded real, he looked real, heck, he even smelt as if they hadn't given him a bath in weeks. Everything about this said that this was really Logan in front of her in a cage so small that he couldn't even stand up inside of it._

_ Looking at her gloves in silence, she waited for him to continue voicing his suspicions. If this really was happening, then she felt hatred growing inside of her towards the people who would make him live through such awful conditions. Sure, he wasn't one used to living the life of luxury, but he sure was used to better than that! _

_ Her inner 'Wolverine' growled his agreement. _

_ The original Wolverine was rather oblivious to the ramblings of her mind as he spoke decisively. "For one thing, I've been here long enough for them to take me to meet whoever wants me—if that person really does. And, if they didn't want me and only wanted Quid, they could have killed me. But that doesn't seem to be on their agenda because other than a nudge or two with their little electric sticks they feed me and I'm tended to. It's like their fattening me up."_

_ That got her complete attention. "Like the story of Hanzel and Gretel."_

_ "**What**?" Clearly not one studied in the fine arts of fairytales, Logan just looked at her as if she'd gone insane. Then again, this conversation alone was making her wonder if she hadn't. "Stay focused, Marie, I think they're planning something."_

_ "When _aren't_ evil mutant-controllers planning something? I mean, look at Stryker." Hearing both Logans' warning growl, she bit her bottom lip in repentance. "I'm sorry Logan; I know how much you hate talking about him."_

_ "That doesn't matter right now. What DOES matter is that we're having this little conversation in the first place." Shifting position once more, the ever-restless mutant watched her suspiciously. "You don't think the old man has anything to do with this, do you?"_

_ "No, I don't think that the professor has anything to do with this." For a moment she was silent, wondering how she could be so very sure about that. The Professor could have something to do with this, it was the most probable explanation for what was happening, but for some reason she was completely sure that he wasn't involved in this meeting. Realizing that Wolverine was still waiting for her to continue, she hurriedly added in an uncertain voice: "I, I might be crazy, Logan, but I think the 'you' in me is the one who is responsible for what's going on now."_

_ "There's a 'me' in you?"_

_ A blush appeared on her cheeks when she heard the shock in his voice. The poor girl wouldn't meet his eyes, remembering a little too late that she had never told Wolverine about the little side affect she had when she drew the powers from other mutants. "There is no time to speak about that now, especially with these more important things to be discussed."_

_ "Screw them for a moment. This is getting rather interesting." Logan announced carelessly, a teasing tone to his voice. "So, Stripes, you got a 'me' in you do you now?"_

_ Groaning since she realized that he wouldn't give up until she answered him, Rogue nodded. "Yes, yes, yes. I have a Wolverine in me who is constantly arguing with everyone and everything and I would like nothing better than to throttle him."_

_ "Throttle the Wolverine?" He seemed utterly insulted by that, and an insulted Wolverine wasn't a very nice Wolverine. But, as always, he made an exception for Rogue. Sighing and telling himself the sorry truth that even if he did want to hurt her he wouldn't be able to get out of his cage in order to do so, the Wolverine calmed down, slightly. He also changed the subject, which Rogue was very grateful for. "I haven't seen Quid since we were taken. I don't know what they've done to him or if he's even alive right now."_

_ "Don't worry, Wolverine." Rogue smiled that smile she only had for him. "We're coming to get you."_

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Eyes flying open, Xavier looked around his darkened room. Yes, that was what had awoken him. That feeling. It was as if Logan was here at the school, not in body, but in spirit. At first the thought terrified the Headmaster because that would mean that Logan was dead, but then, Xavier began to feel something else as well. Rogue.

Using the little strength he had in his upper body, he managed to pull himself into a sitting position in bed and tried to concentrate on the aura that was growing stronger by the second, as if a connection had finally be made. The old man licked his dry lips and smiled suddenly, realizing that Logan was very much alive.

Still concentrating, Xavier wondered how Rogue and Logan were making contact. He then felt something else. Scott. A rueful smile appeared on his face as he allowed all of the possibilities roam when it came to those three. No one knew about all the trials they had gone through in their lives, but there was one thing that Xavier knew for certain: Rogue and Scott were soon to find redemption.

With a contented smile on his face, the Headmaster carefully lowered himself back into a reclining position and closed his eyes. He knew with certainty that he'd be receiving an early morning visit from Rogue, and he wanted to have all the energy possible to be able to deal with whatever it was she had to tell him.

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_ "What do you mean 'we' are going to come? YOU aren't coming_!" _Logan announced, looking at her in horror. When she wouldn't look at him or respond to his outburst, the protective man suddenly realized all the answers that she was trying to keep hidden from him. Anger clouded his vision and he shook his head furiously. "This is too dangerous, Marie, you aren't coming."_

_ "Yes I am." Rogue retorted, standing up rather shakily and taking a couple of steps back just in case his anger got the best at him and he tried taking a swipe at her. When she was sure that she was out of arm's length, the young woman placed her hands stubbornly on her hips and glared down at Logan, who was glaring up at her. "I am coming and you can do nothing to stop me."_

_ For some seconds they just glared daggers at each other, looking very much like child siblings whom were always fighting with each other. Then, when glaring wasn't working the miracles that both the Wolverine and the Rogue had expected, they sighed annoyed and then snorted at each other at the same time._

_ Sniffing the air all of a sudden, Logan growled low in his throat and narrowed his eyes accusingly at her. "You have One-Eye's scent all over you! You reek of it!" Hearing the silence and seeing the blush that greeted that observance, the Wolverine snorted, trying to get the smell out of his nostrils. "Are you bedding him?" Without waiting to hear her answer he announced in a decided tone: "I'll kill him. As soon as I get out of here I'll tear him to pieces."_

_ Knowing that Logan wasn't one to bluff, all of the color drained out of her face. "You'll do no such thing! Scott is a good man who will be coming to help you and you won't hurt him!"_

_ Something about the tone in her voice and the change in her smell caused Wolverine's anger to disappear. He seemed suddenly very pensive. "Cykes still loves the Doc."_

_ "He will always love Jean." Rogue announced in a soft voice, gaze falling to the ground. She wasn't surprised when she felt a salty tear make its way down her cheek. Something in her always seemed to tear when she repeated this to herself, reminding herself that Scott and herself were just friends. "I'm Rogue the Untouchable."_

_ "Don't sell yourself short, Marie. You never know what might be if you won't believe it can happen." Wolverine whispered in a voice that surprised the young woman. Just the very thought of Logan offering advice pm romance was so odd that she remained silent for a while trying to figure out if it had really happened._

_ Suddenly Rogue felt as if she was being torn apart from the reality she'd been taken to while in dream. She could see that Logan was mouthing something to her, but she couldn't hear what was being said. One moment she was trying to read his lips, and the next she was looking into dark shades_.

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Far, far away, in a cell far too small for comfort, Logan awoke rather groggily. Looking around the darkness, he frowned. That had been one odd dream.

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"_He will always love Jean_…_I'm Rogue the Untouchable…_" Those words had stiffened Scott's heart as he heard Rogue whimpering them in her sleep. His eyes narrowed at the pain he'd heard placed into those nine choked words.

Logan. Rogue was dreaming of Logan and Jean, and the tears that were running down the young woman's cheeks meant that her heart was breaking.

Unable to bare it any longer, Scott began shaking her awake. He smiled weakly at her when her eyes fluttered open, revealing foggy eyes and wet lashes. Without speaking a word, he watched as color rose in her cheeks, since he was leaning partially over her. His eyes, hidden by the shades, roamed the face he dreamt of every night, and then lowered to the lips that had been doing wonders to him in his dreams.

Suddenly, on impulse, he cupped her face in his hands and without giving her time to react, he touched his lips to hers. The kiss, for it was a kiss, had only been designed to be a comfort to her, but when he'd felt her soft lips shyly moving against his, Scott didn't recognize the person who took over his body. His reaction to Rogue frightened himself, because the shock that ran through his body wasn't anything he'd ever felt before, and it left him craving more. Like an animal deprived of water he took the kiss deeper, deeper than he knew she had ever gone before.

Scott had always prided himself on being nothing less than a gentleman, but at the moment 'animalistic' was the only word that could describe the feelings that were vibrating throughout his body. As his kiss grew more passionate, one hand trailed down her body and dipped down into her pajama pants, his fingers tickling Rogue's stomach muscles and causing them to jump. Those devilish fingers of his moved slightly below and he felt Rogue's breathing accelerating as she groaned into his kiss.

Suddenly, realizing something, Scott Summers pulled out of their kiss and looked down at Rogue. Eyes widening, he realized that somehow he'd pulled up her shirt and had pulled himself on top of her. One hand was cupping the side of her face and the other was still stationed at a place that it shouldn't be. Well, this wasn't the only thing that surprised him.

Rogue must have realized it as well, because she suddenly gasped and went completely still, eyes widening in surprise and shock.

His skin was touching hers, and nothing was happening.

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**I hope you liked that! I still want to take things slower for them, but don't fear, it shall happen soon, since I AM making this as only a short fic! Please Review!**


	5. Chapter 5 Reverse Psychoanalogy

**Disclaimer: Don't own.**

**Rapunzel34: Lol. Yes, I shall soon be explaining to everyone the reason why Rogue has contact with Logan and why Scott can touch her and not get hurt. It might happen all in this chapter, but in time it will.**

**Baby12: Thank you thank you. Bows and curtsies and smiles like an idiot I shall try updating sooner.**

**Mechelle-VanPatten: Rude? I'm so sorry! Lol! I'm really so so so so so so sorry. I hope you like this chapter!**

**LoneCat: You love the story? I'm so happy!**

**Nicki-hunny: Lol. That's the second time someone has told me that I was mean and/or rude! I'm sorry if I'm a cliff-hanger kind of person!**

**Chica De Los Ojos Café: Yep, skin to glorious skin…don't you just envy Rogue for a moment?**

**VanillaStrawberry: I'm glad you like it so much!**

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Fidgeting in the chair, Rogue refused to meet either Professor Xavier's or Scott's eyes. Her gaze was concentrated on her gloves, and her mind wandered onto the happenings that had caused Scott and herself to awaken the professor at such an ungodly hour of the morning. Shame tinted her cheeks pink as she listened to Scott explaining the circumstances that brought on their discovery to the professor without trying to disclose too much information—and that the professor saw through everything and apparently knew what had happened. Did it show on her face? Was it that obvious?

"Rogue, would you please stop fidgeting, you have nothing to be worried about." The professor announced in a reassuring voice that held hints of amusement. Leaning forwards on his desk, he looked at Scott and then at Rogue. "Scott has told me that he has been able to touch your skin without being hurt. Is this correct?"

She nodded wordlessly, still not looking up from her gloves. This was just _so_ embarrassing!

"Good." The professor smiled, his wheel chair moving from behind the desk to seat him right next to the nervous woman in his midst. "It is just as I thought. You're mutation _is_ controlled by you—though very subconsciously I must add."

Her head jerked up at that and she could only _stare_ at the professor as if he had gone mad. How could he say that _she_ was in control of her mutation? That was stupid and hurtful. There was no way that _she_ had kept herself from being touched by loved ones all of those years that she yearned for the feel of skin against skin. This was madness. The professor had finally lost it.

"I have done no such thing." The professor chuckled, and Rogue blushed crimson, eyes widening in horror when she realized that he had read her mind When she'd thought that. He chuckled even more before returning to his serious self. "I know that this is confusing and hard for you to accept, Rogue, but it is true. I have been suspecting it for some time now but up until now I had no proof, only a theory. I'd have thought that this would have happened with Wolverine, but apparently there wasn't enough of it to trigger the reaction."

Scott, obviously just as baffled as Rogue was by the professor's confusing ramblings, cleared his throat from where he stood by the side of her chair. He looked at Professor Xavier as if trying to figure out if he'd heard right. "Enough of _what_, professor? What are you talking about?"

But instead of answering Scott, Professor Xavier turned to look at her, and Rogue gulped, sensing that something she wouldn't like was about to commence. He looked at her and placed a comforting hand on her sleeved arm before beginning. "Rogue, I know that this is going to be hard for you, but I need you to be truthful with me. This mutation wasn't always like this, was it?"

"I—I—I don't know." She whispered, beginning to feel like a lab rat being examined. Her body was growing tense and she tried searching her memory for a time when she wasn't cursed by her skin, but she came up blank when she tried going far back into her childhood. It was as if there was a wall constructed across a certain section of her brain that kept her from remembering far back.

"There is."

Jumping slightly in shock, she looked at the professor and placed a hand on her rapidly beating heart. If he continued that way he was bound to give her a heart attack!

Being the only one not cued in on what they were talking about, Scott frowned. "There is _what_?"

No one answered him.

Rogue just looked deep into the professor's eyes and for her it was as if she saw her brain through them, and saw a large wall blocking something she felt was vitally important. She searched for some sort of opening, a door, a crack in the wall, anything that might get her to the other side, but there was none.

Suddenly the wall cracked on its own and came tumbling down; causing what had been locked behind it to become unleashed. There were sounds of screaming and struggling, sounds of something breaking and someone laughing. There were sounds of running, and the smell of fear was in the air. There was blood and cursing, pain and betrayal. Then, it changed, and the attacker was screaming, crying out for mercy.

The salt of tears filled the air.

Rogue was crying hysterically into her trembling hands. The young woman fell to her knees on the ground and began rocking herself back and forth.

Scott, seeing her sudden distress, fell to his knees as well and pulled her into his embrace. She melted into his arms, feeling once more protected from the memories and the feelings of hurt, betrayal, and pain. Scott's arms offered warmth and peace, as he tried comforting her without even knowing what had caused her to act this way in the first place. This was why she loved being with him. This was why she trusted him. He'd never hurt her.

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Seeing that Rogue still hadn't been able to stop crying, the sympathetic old man turned to look at Scott, who was comforting Rogue the way a father would a child. The tender picture they made was heartwarming, and Xavier just sat in his wheelchair, watching them and smiling softly to himself. Yes, he could understand now why it had taken so long to happen. Everything happened for a reason, and now Rogue's time had finally arrived.

Scott turned to look at the professor in confusion while whispering comforting words into Rogue's ear. It was obvious that the younger man didn't know what was happening, and Xavier shook his head for him to wait. Things would be discussed when the young woman was able to sit in the chair and relax. This was a delicate situation, and Xavier wasn't about to risk Rogue subconsciously 'protecting' herself once more if she felt cornered by them.

It took a while, but Rogue_ did_ get control of herself and sat down in her seat once more. Her shoulders were slightly shaking, but they stopped doing so when Scott (who had taken his place standing behind her chair) placed his hands on her shoulders. She gave a long sigh and Xavier took the moment to offer her a handkerchief he'd retrieved from his desk while waiting for her to calm down. "My dear child, would you prefer for me to tell him?"

When the old man saw Rogue finally give a small nod, Xavier smiled comfortingly at her and then quickly at Scott as well, for the poor young man looked so shaken up to see Rogue in this distraught condition that he had earned Xavier's sympathy as well. "Scott, while you comforted Rogue some moments ago you cupped her face in your hands and kissed her forehead. Skin against skin, and once more, nothing happened." He ignored the softly blushes that appeared on both Rogue's and Scott's cheeks as he continued. "Would you like to know how this was possible?"

"Yes sir." Scott nodded, determination radiating off of his strong and capable body.

Xavier exchanged silent glances with the female in their midst before beginning. "When Rogue was younger, much younger, she was attacked by someone she trusted, someone she thought she'd be safe with. At the time her powers had been controllable, but when this man tried to _hurt_ her, her body went into what you could call 'auto-control **protect**' mode. Her mutation killed her attacked, absorbed him, and then the mind of the then nine year old blocked it out from her memory in another effort to try and protect her. Since that day, her mutation has been on 'protect' mode and hadn't been turned off until earlier this evening. Would you like to know why?"

White rage was visible on Scott's face and Xavier could feel the anger that radiated through his body, which had grown abnormally stiff. Xavier curiously delved into the younger mutant's mind, to see how the news had affected him. Right away the older mutant sensed the deep hatred being aimed towards the man who would hurt Rogue, and Xavier blinked in surprise, having been sure that he'd picked up a _'my Rogue'_ in Scott's line of thoughts.

Finally able to respond, Scott nodded mechanically and he repeated. "_Yes sir_."

So, he continued. "Rogue wasn't the one to turn off her protective mode." Xavier turned to look at Rogue momentarily and saw the shame and humiliation written in her eyes, yet, shimmering through those horrible emotions, he could also detect curiosity. Realizing that the young woman still hadn't figured out for herself why she'd regained control over her power, the old man leaned back in his wheelchair before returning his gaze to an expectant Scott. "_You_ did."

A shocked silence filled the room; the two younger mutants didn't know what to say. They just looked at Xavier in surprise.

"Yes. It is quite true." Xavier reaffirmed, wheeling his chair back behind his desk and turned to look at them. Waiting a couple of minutes, he tried to think of a way to say this without confusing them all the more. For him as well it was a new concept, but it wasn't unheard of, just very rare. "Let me explain something about the mutant body for you. When under extreme feelings, such as paralyzing fear, intense pain, or heartbreaking betrayal, the mutant body can do something that the human body can't. It can form some sort of defense, as did Rogue's. When she was being attacked, those feelings triggered a valve in her brain which started her 'protect' mode. Her mutation took control and the attacker was killed instantly, saving Rogue from a fate worse than death."

Rogue whimpered slightly at the reminder of what could have happened that fateful day.

Scott tightened his grip reassuringly on her shoulder, trying to comfort her but so confused himself. "I, I do believe that I understand what you are saying, professor, but what did _I_ have to do with Rogue's regaining control over her mutation?"

"It was through a process called 'Reverse Psychoanalogy'. Let me explain this for you in moderate terms. Reverse Psychoanalogy is when something similar happens to a person that it similar to something that has already happened, yet completely different." The blank looks on their faces showed that they hadn't understood what he was trying to say, so the old man sighed and thought for a moment in silence, trying to come up with a simpler way of explaining such a complex process as Reverse Psychoanalogy. "Let me explain it to you with the events that have happened."

Scott and Rogue both nodded.

Xavier sighed and begun this once more. "As I have already said, when Rogue was younger she was attacked by someone she trusted, thus issuing the 'protect' mode in her mutation. After said happening she journeyed through the rest of her life until now living that same life in the protection of her mutation because subconsciously she was still frightened of being hurt once more." Pausing to make sure that they were following him on it, he smiled briefly to see that they seemed to understand what he was saying up to this point. "Last night—or this morning—however you would like to see it, Reverse Psychoanalogy took place. Why you ask? It took place because Rogue felt intense feelings that were the complete opposite of the feelings that she'd felt the night that her mutation took control of her." Once more he paused to let this sink in, wondering if they'd finally understood what he was trying to tell them. _If they don't it's going to be rather embarrassing to have to tell them it the blunter way. _Seeing the furious blushes appearing on their cheeks assured the old mutant that they had gotten his point and he sighed with relief, since he hadn't wanted to have to start the other conversation at all. "Also, the most important feeling she felt with you was trust. Scott, you have earned her trust, and that was why it was _you_ who triggered the deactivation of the 'protect' mode."

There was complete silence in the room, and this quite frankly, amused the old man to no small extent. "Now, it would be best if you two went and got ready to leave. Departure will be in less than an hour."

Rogue nodded. "Th-thank you, professor." With that she rushed out of the room, not even bothering to look at Scott.

But that didn't seem to bother the young man, because he looked lost in his own thoughts. He walked mechanically to the door, but, before going out, Scott turned to look at the professor, a confused and troubled expression covering his face. "Professor? I have a question to ask."

Oh, Xavier was sure that Scott had _millions_ of questions, but he kept that to himself. He leaned forwards onto the desk and rested his elbows on the surface while touching his fingers playfully together. "And what would that be?"

"Wolverine." Scott announced, and Xavier kept back a smile, having guessed that it would be about the _other_ man, because Xavier had been questioning himself about this for some time now himself. "Rogue trusted Wolverine; he saved her life twice at least. And she was in love with him. Why—why was it _me_ who deactivated her 'protect' mode and not Wolverine?"

Leaning back against his chair once more, Xavier looked up at the troubled young man before him. _My, my, he has always had insecurities when it came to Logan, hasn't he?_ Then again, there had always been a reason for that. Before Logan had arrived Scott had been the all-mighty leader of the X-Men and the love of Jean's life.

Then, Wolverine had appeared, questioned Scott authority time and time again, proved that he was an equal, and had fallen in love with Jean, who slightly reciprocated those feelings. Scott had always believed that Jean cared for Logan more than for him; he hadn't believed Logan when he'd told him that Jean had picked him over the Wolverine. Xavier had heard that encounter and it had hurt him deeply tp feel Scott's inner turmoil, but he'd thought that with Jean dead, Logan and Scott could somehow form a friendship.

But fate seemed to be against this match of friendship, and Xavier frowned slightly. He knew that Logan and Scott had formed a truce of some sort with each other, but would that truce last when Wolverine was freed? _I doubt it_. Once again Logan and Scott would be at odds with each other. They'd be fighting over dominance, seeing who was the alpha male of the two, their personalities would conflict more than ever, and once more, they would be fighting over the attention of one confused young lady. Poor Rogue didn't know what she was in for.

Realizing that Scott was still waiting for an answer to his question, Xavier looked at the young man and noticed that for the first time he seemed content. Something about Rogue had helped Scott, and if things were going the way Xavier felt they would, he believed full-heartedly that more surprises were in store for them. "There is only one answer to that question, my boy: Rogue didn't trust Logan enough for the deactivation to occur."

This answer seemed to confuse Scott even more as he raked his lean fingers through his tousled hair. "But I don't understand. Wolverine _saved_ her life. She was _in love_ with him! How could Rogue not _trust_ him enough but trust _me_?"

"Oh no, don't get me wrong. Rogue trusts Logan. She trusts him with her life." Xavier quickly amended, trying not to confuse the poor man anymore than he already was. "She knows that he'd die to save her. But she knows that he will hurt her, and he has. That is why she didn't trust him enough for the deactivation to occur."

Hearing this, Scott came back towards him and leaned down against the desk, his dark shades seeming to grow darker. "What do you mean that Wolverine hurt her? If he—I'll."

"Nothing of that sort, Scott, really. You should know that Logan wouldn't _ever_ hurt Rogue intentionally. Sometimes it is like she is the only one who can bring out the human trapped deep inside of him. She's his only friend and for men like Logan friends are hard to find and worth their weight in gold." Xavier scolded Scott for ever having entertained such a thought.

Slumping down in the chair that Rogue had recently vacated, Scott sighed. "I just don't get it then. I'm confused."

"It's her heart, Scott. She doesn't trust Logan with her heart, because Rogue knew that he would leave her and she'd be hurt when he left, which he has done a number of times now. She did the same with Bobby."

Scott's head jerked up at that, and Xavier could feel the curiosity in his aura. Was Bobby and Rogue's relationship something that Scott thought about a lot?

"She didn't love Bobby and she knew it would hurt him when they broke up and hurting someone who meant a lot for her would hurt her in the process. So Rogue continued protecting herself. Still, she knew it would come, and from the rumors I have heard circulating the school, they broke up yesterday for that very same reason."

It was as if a burden had been taken off of Scott's shoulders, and he seemed carefree for a second.

Xavier watched as mixed emotions crossed Scott's face, wishing that he could see those eyes and get a better notion of what was going on in his head. "But she trusted you with her heart. Rogue doesn't seem to realize it, but she trusts you with it, she loves you. Here are some few words of advice." Allowing those words to sink in, he caught the younger man's surprised gaze.

Scott leaned forwards, as if not wanting to miss a word of whatever Xavier was about to tell him.

"You can always love those who have left us, but don't allow that special type of love to stand in the way of future happiness." He then looked down at the papers on his desk, trying to look busy.

Scott leaned back in the chair and seemed to be silently contemplating what he'd just been told. His gaze journeyed to his hands and then he sighed as if he was once more burdened with some invisible weight.

"Picking up some of the papers on his desk, Xavier pretended to read them with earnest interest. Then, after a couple of minutes of looking at the same sentence over and over again, he looked over at Scott, who hadn't moved a muscle. Feigning surprise, he spoke: "Oh, are you still there?" A smile forced its way into his face even though he'd been fighting it off valiantly. "I have a very important matter at hand now that must be resolved immediately if I do not want a crisis on our hands." His smile was growing, no matter how hard he fought it. "Off with you."

"Yes sir." Scott announced, standing up and walking out of the room as if in a trance.

Putting down the résumés of the many candidates applying for the _very _important position of Xavier's School's for Gifted Youth's newest janitor, Xavier's eyes wandered to the opened door and couldn't help but smile.

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He'd been transferred to a bigger cage, and he wondered why they were all of a sudden treating him as if he had feelings. Something was up, and it didn't take a genius to know it. There were planning something, or something special was about to happen. Maybe they were going to kill him and thought that he should spend his last days a little more dignified. He wasn't sure which of all of the many possibilities the right one was, but he knew that he has to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best—if there really _was_ a best.

Sniffing the air the only scent he picked up was danger. Not finding much comfort in that he looked down at his bare feet, which were shackled to the bottom of this cage. Well, if they really wanted to give him a challenge they should have shackled his arms _and_ neck, but he guessed that they had been too frightened to stay long enough to shackle those parts, even though they had shot a dart with sleeping position into his neck and at the time he was unconscious.

Crouching on all fours, he looked and felt very much like an animal on display at one of those traveling circuses. _Come one, come all, to see the grand, the dangerous, and the rarest animal on the earth, Wolverine_. A voice taunted in his mind, and he shook his head to dispel those thoughts.

Another thought entered his mind. It was that of the dream he'd had last night with Marie. Still rather shaken up from the dream, Logan silently wondered if it _had_ been a figment of his subconscious imagination or if it had been something much more important than that. It had been so _real_, as if his little Stripes was standing right outside of his cell, watching him in such a degrading circumstance, talking to him, reassuring him that help was on the way.

Another disturbing thought had been how she reeked of One Eye. Even her pores had emitted his scent.

Growling slightly at that memory, Wolverine kicked at one of the cage's bars, only managing to bruise his shackled leg. He cursed darkly and looked at his shackled legs once more. Why was he worrying so much? It was only a dream.

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Lying on her bed, Rogue cried, silently relieved that she hadn't awoken Jubilee when she'd rushed carelessly into their bedroom. Her tears fogged her view, and she didn't bother brushing them away. The visions running past her eyes of memories she'd forgotten ached at her soul. How had he been able to do that to her? She had trusted him and he had nearly--.

Closing her eyes tightly, Rogue wiped at her eyes and sat up in her bed. Looking at the sun as it began to shine through the window; she looked down at her wet gloves and slowly took them off. Her white skin seemed so foreign to her, and she looked at her fingers. Was she really cured? Could she actually touch people?

A soft smile touched her face as she thought of that possibility. She could be human again; she could touch people and not fear that she would kill them. And all of this was thanks to Scott Summers.

Just thinking of Scott made her smile grow more genuine. He was incredible, unlike any other man she had ever met. He was a gentleman with a mischievous soul hidden deep within him which captivated her completely. He was sweet, considerate of her feelings, always there for her when she needed him, and the kindest man on the planet. No wonder Jean had loved him.

_ Jean_.

Getting up shakily, Rogue remembered the woman that Scott loved, and felt sick at her stomach. Fresh tears threatened to jump out but she wiped them away.

Why did she keep deluding herself with a possibility of a future with Scott? Even if she _could_ touch him now, that didn't change the fact that his heart belonged to the good Doc. Trying to remind herself of that, Rogue went to the bathroom to get ready for their departure to Japan where she would pretend to be Scott's wife.

_ Mrs. Marie Summers_.

Stopping short at as she tried out the name, Rogue smiled slightly to herself.

_ It's a beautiful name_.

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Leaning against the wall outside of Xavier's office, Scott looked up at the ceiling without really seeing it. So many thought were racing through his mind as he replayed what the professor had told him after Rogue left the room in such a hurry. But one question dominated all the others…Did Rogue really _love_ him?

Pushing away from the wall, the young man shoved his hands into his pants pockets and started walking slowly back to his room, head lowered. _Rogue might love me_. His eyes were trained on his shoes as he continued walking, pondering how that changed things. Scott's heart thumped rapidly, and he felt a smile trying to tug at his lips, but he pushed that aside. Yes. He had feeling for Rogue, and strong ones at that. But what about Jean? He'd loved her for so long! How could he now have feelings for Rogue?

The professor's voice spoke softly in his head: _You can always love those who have left us, but don't allow that special type of love to stand in the way of future happiness_

Replaying those words over and over in his head, Scott continued on his lonely walk, pondering on his heart. It would have been so easier to take a vacation and try to sort things out away from the school, the X-men, and Rogue, but in a couple of hours they would be traveling to Japan, where things would get ever so more complicated for him. He'd be near Rogue, he'd have to sleep in the same bed with her, and he'd have to pretend to be her husband.

_ Mrs. Marie Summer._

A genuine smile appeared on his lips and for a moment, the confusion seemed to lift.

_ It's a beautiful name_.

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Opening his eyes, Xavier smiled and picked up the résumés once more since he possibly couldn't go back to sleep. No, the excitement was going to keep him up late into the night. Because, you see, he knew that some interesting happenings were about to commence.

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**A/N: I hope that this chapter made up for the horrible way that I kept you waiting! I made this chapter longer than any of the others, see? Am I forgiven? Please forgive this contrite author! And review? (Makes Big Puppy Eyes) Yes, please review! PLEASE! OH! PLEASE! OH! PLEASE!**

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	6. Chapter 6 A Strange Girl

**Disclaimer: I disclaim. Honestly I do.**

**Chica De Los Ojos Café: Yep, the professor let the puss out of the bag. Well, Rogue loves Scott and she doesn't want to admit it. And Scott loves Rogue and feels that he's betraying Jean. And Wolverine? No one can EVER pin down his feelings…**

**Nicky-hunny: Yeah. It was NEAR rape. The who, well, hunny, you just hit one of the mystery parts of this story! And I'm sorry for being mean (bad Shadowglove, bad, bad)**

**LoneCat: Worth the wait? I would SO hug you if I knew you. I honestly hope that this next update hasn't taken as long as the last one.**

**VanillaStrawberry: I'm glad that the chapter was to your liking! It just came to me in a flash, pure inspiration, and I was so happy to finally be able to come up with a believable explanation for Rogue's mutation problem being fixed.**

**LeLovelyLyndsikins: You're idol? (mouth falls open and eyes widen like saucers)…**

**Silverbells: Thank you, you're review just left me speechless for a while—which is a big accomplishment for anyone. I'll try not to let you down with the future updates.**

**Nicole: Okay, I'm sorry for not taking off the ONESHOT thingy. I'm glad that you found the other chapters and like them! **

**Word: Thanx. I'm glad you liked it. I have discovered that I found your one word reviews entertaining.**

**Nicole/Word: U have me laughing right now, kudos for that! Just because you seem to like this story so much I am going to try and update sooner than planned. All because of you! Lol.**

**K. Lynn Smith: Addicted? Wow…**

**Mm4ever2gether: Well, that answer to that question will be told later on in this story. I hope that you will stay with me to the end and find out all of the answers to your questions.**

**Raniatlw: I used to be all Rogue/Wolverine lover. But he kept on leaving her and then liked Jean, and THEN I realized that with Jean gone (not that I wanted her dead) Rogue and Scott would make the perfect couple so, while I still like Logan/Rogue stories I'm starting to really like Scott/Rogue stories (as you can see since I'm writing one).**

**Loves-winged-dark-angel:** **I'm trying to update sooner!**

**Maryme: Don't lose faith! I will post another chapter soon. I'm just really bogged down with the house, work, and with studying, but I will update!**

**Faery's Delight: Thank ye! I shall update soon! I promise I promise!**

**Mooncat: Thank you, I didn't just want to push Scott and Rogue together because that really wouldn't be love, it would be lust, and both of them would probably just be on the rebound. That why I am taking time with them. No, I don't know of any good sites, sorry.**

**Artemis' Wolf: Thanx for liking the story. I'm having a little problem with writer's block so please forgive me if this update takes a long time.**

**B: the rest is here! At least this chapter… :p**

**FSY319: I will continue! People, please don't think that I've given up on this story!**

**RoganLuvr: Thanx! I'll update soon! Really! I'm just coming up with the rest of the ideas.**

**Cat: I am trying to finish it! Honestly!**

**_A/N: For all of my readers I have a little note to leave. I haven't been updating because of a writer's block concerning this part of the story, so I decided to skip the time in Japan and get right to where they are about to break into the secret laboratory to save Wolverine. A new character will be introduced into this chapter as well. Also, I'm not good in faction scenes (I write romance for crying out loud) so please don't flame. I admitted that I'm not good so why review just to tell me that my supposedly action scenes sucked. Thank you for understanding and reading and I honestly hope that you enjoy this chapter._**

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He kept hearing the screams, and it was causing him to grow crazed. Who was the person screaming and what were they doing to her? Even though Logan wasn't the nicest of people, he knew that females were to be respected—unless they were dangerous females with hard steel for fingernails and wanted to take your eyes out—yet that was another story.

Kicking at his cage he growled and tried covering his ears so he wouldn't have to hear her screams. It had been like this for a couple of nights now, and it was driving him insane. The person sounded young, too young to have to go through whatever was happening up in that room.

Looking up the stairs towards the boxlike windowless room, Logan narrowed his eyes, wishing that he had enough strength to break his cage. He didn't wish this for himself or for Quid; he had lost Quid's scent and believed that the other man must be dead because Wolverine could smell everything. No, he did it for this person, for this mysterious person. It wasn't in his nature to think of others, but he'd done it with Marie, and now there was this mysterious female who smelt of such fear that it was slowly driving him crazy.

If only he could get out…if only he could get to her…if only he could help her…if only…if only…

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"It goes down tonight." Scott told them

A week had been enough for the X-Men to find out where the entrance to the secret laboratory was located. That, in itself, was the easy part. The hard part being—at least for Rogue—to keep her mind _and hands_ off of her handsome colleague, especially since they slept cuddled in the same bed every night.

"Right." Storm nodded, going to ready herself.

Kurt did the same.

Rogue looked up at Scott and then back at her shoes. She still wasn't used to the fact that she could touch people and not zap their life out of them, yet she liked the fact that the voices in her head were heard only when she summoned them…which was nearly never. The only problem—if you could call it a problem—was the fact that she couldn't summon her powers if she wanted to. So, in a sense, she was defenseless and it irked her to think that her colleagues would be worrying about her safety while they should be worrying about how to get Wolverine out alive.

"Rogue."

Looking up, her brown eyes were trained on Scott. "Yes?"

For a moment he was hesitant, then he smiled tiredly. "Don't get killed." And with that he walked away, leaving the mutant with mixed feelings.

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Scott silently praised Kurt for helping them get into the underground laboratory despite the fact that on his first attempt he hadn't known what the inside of the place looked like. He'd gone by himself that time just incase he got trapped in a wall, and since luck would have it he was successful, and was able to teleport them inside as well.

When the alarm sounded, alerting their presence in the building, Scott winced, yet Storm quickly told them that she could handle the humans coming to stop them, and they left her and her giant hail storm. Kurt had been the most reluctant of them to leave Storm on her own, and Scott knew that Nightcrawler had feelings for the white-haired beauty. Yet Kurt had left Storm to fend off her assailants, and Scott could still hear the sounds of the men's terrified screams as they tried running for cover.

As they kept running towards where Rogue sensed Wolverine was imprisoned, Scott couldn't help feeling jealous of the close connection Logan and Marie had that she could even sense him no matter how far apart they were. He wanted to believe that Rogue would be able to do the same with him if he were the one they were going to rescue, yet he doubted that it was so. The leader of the X-Men suddenly wondered if he would always be in the Wolverine's shadow.

Even though Storm was still holding off the men who had attacked them in the entrance, Scott could hear the sounds of many booted feet hurrying towards them, and he growled at the fact that it would be good to have Wolverine with them at the moment. The man was an animal, in both the good and the bad way, and he knew that they needed the man to be able to get out of there alive.

"He's in this room." Rogue exclaimed, reaching for the handle of the door and trying to open it. It was locked and Scott was glad for the fact that there was unbreakable glass built into the top of the door. That was Kurt was easily able to see what the inside looked like and in seconds he had grabbed Rogue and teleported into the other room. He dropped Rogue and in the blink of an eye he'd returned with Scott.

Scott quickly looked through the unbreakable glass window in the door and noticed the many armed men that would have trapped them if it hadn't been for Nightcrawler's amazing ability. "I envy your powers sometimes, Kurt."

"I wasn't known as 'The Incredible Nightcrawler' in the Munich circus for nothing." Even though that sounded quite boastful, Kurt said it with a small blush, which looked odd against his blue skin.

"Logan!" Rogue's cry caught the men's attention and they turned to see her running towards a cage, in which Wolverine was held. The thin women went on her knees and reached out to touch Wolverine's hand. The man just looked at her as if he couldn't believe she was there. She smiled. "Are you okay?"

"_Stripes?_" Wolverine whispered, eyes widening as he realized that she was holding his hand and nothing was happening. Scott used his solar vision to burn through Wolverine's chains, and then to burn the cage's lock, weakening it considerably. It only took one of Wolverine's strong kicks to send the door flying in the other direction. Logan got out of the cage and pulled Rogue to her feet, holding her tightly. "How can you touch me?"

"Long story, Logan." Rogue whispered, hugging him tightly. "No time right now to tell you."

Scott forgot the danger that they were in as he watched Wolverine and Rogue with a sickening feeling deep within his stomach. He saw the love and tenderness they felt for each other, and his heart seemed to be breaking as Scott forced himself to watch them. Forced himself to see how much Rogue loved Wolverine. Forced himself to understand that when he was ready to see other women, Rogue would have already left with Logan.

A scream pierced the air.

Kurt twirled around at the echoing sound, horror on his face. "Was that Storm?"

Wolverine shook his head, letting go of Rogue and looking towards the stairs that led up to a mysterious looking room. "No. It's _her_." Without another word he hurried towards the stairs, claws appearing immediately as he began climbing.

The door that separated them from the armed men suddenly exploded and the soldiers entered the room in a brisk pace, shooting as they did. Scott shouted for Rogue to hide as he took cover and shot his solar beams towards the men. His concentration was horrible, for he was more worried for Rogue's safety than his own, and that cost him dearly because a bullet pierced his left arm, causing him to cry out in intense pain.

Ignoring the pain in his arm, Scott continued to shoot his solar beams, cursing because they were so outnumbered. He glanced over to where Kurt was, he smiled to see how the mutant was putting up his own, scaring the soldiers to no small extent. There was a strong blast of wind and the soldiers were all thrown across the room, landing hard on their faces.

Storm appeared in the doorway, her eyes completely white as majestic lightning began hitting selected soldiers. Kurt smiled with relief to see that she was unhurt before grabbing one of his knives and appearing behind one of the bigger soldiers, grabbing him from behind and stabbing him in the throat. He then teleported to the ceiling and was hidden in the shadows before any of the soldiers could figure out what had happened.

The violent and sudden noises from the upstairs room where their dark haired friend had disappeared into caused Scott to look up there and frown, wondering what in the world Logan was doing up there when they needed him down here helping them. They _had_ risked their lives for _him_, and the ungrateful thing could at least help them! The Leader of the X-men then looked in the direction where Rogue was hiding. If something happened to her because Logan didn't know where his loyalties lay, well, Scott would kill him.

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The moment he'd entered the room, Logan couldn't control the anger and hatred boiling inside. His dark eyes spanned the room and he realized what was happening, his animal instincts had taken over and he'd begun clashing everything in his way. There were a couple of men in the room, yet they weren't fighters. They were scientists, and it was most obvious because when they saw him they were tripping over each other trying to get to the backdoor first. He took out his fury on the machines, destroying them ruthlessly, showing the scientist in the room what he would do to them if they didn't get away as fast as they could. If he had had more time, Logan would have gone after them, yet he knew that the others wouldn't be able to hold off the soldiers for much longer.

Going towards the tiny cage in the center of the room, Logan looked down into the frightened face of the girl. She couldn't haven been older than twelve and she was the skinniest, most pathetic looking creature he'd ever had the misfortune to lay his eyes on. Yet there was something about this girl that seemed to call to him, and Logan used his claws to stab the machine on the side of the cage, causing the door to fling open.

"Come on, we don't have much time." He whispered, not understanding why he did that since he'd already made enough noise already that there was no way in hell that the soldiers didn't know he was up there. But there was something about this little girl that had him doing so. It was this little girl who had him bent on his knees, arms outstretched. "We have to leave now." Seeing her frightened glance towards his claws, he retracted them, silently berating himself for not having thought of doing that before. Obviously the child was terrified, and having claws outstretched towards her wouldn't help her any. "Trust me."

Her eyes seemed to be the largest thing about her, and at those words they grew. She hesitated for a moment before outstretching a trembling hand and holding his hand. Logan helped her out of the cage and picked her up bridal style, horrified to realize that she felt weightless. Her bones seemed to dominate her body, and stuck out at odd angles. Her cheeks were sunken in, and her skin was a very pale color. Yet there was something about those large doe eyes that held his attention for no explainable reason.

Hearing footsteps coming towards them from the door where the scientists had escaped, Logan put down the girl and used his strength to push a couple of the mangled machines in front of the door, blocking their entry. Yet, knowing that that wouldn't hold them forever, he picked up the girl and hurried out of the room.

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Rogue looked up in time to see Logan racing down the stairs with a young bony child in his arms. The girl looked so pathetic and helpless that Rogue's heart immediately went out to her. Rogue saw Wolverine as he hurried towards her and tried leaving the girl with her, but the younger girl didn't want to let go of him.

"I'll come back." He whispered, and with that the young girl reluctantly let go and Logan gave Rogue a smile before extracting his claws and hurrying back to help Scott, Storm and Kurt as they fought off the soldiers.

Scott said something to Storm, and she nodded, beginning to rise in the air. Rain clouds covered the ceiling and lightning and thunder crackled in the air slightly as it began raining torrentially, soaking all those below. Thick fog covered the distance between their heads and the ceiling, hiding Storm from sight.

Rogue pulled the whimpering child close to her, trying to keep themselves dry but it was impossible. They shivered as their clothes soaked through and clung to their bodies. The elder woman stifled a gasp as she saw the bony skeletal figure of the child, and she grew angry at the thought that other human beings would allow a child, mutant or not, to grow this horribly thin because of starvation.

Suddenly something appeared in front of them and the girl screamed in horror. Hurt covered Kurt's face for a second, but then it was replaced with understanding.

"Cyclops says I must take you to the jet. We must leave at once!" He explained rapidly in his thick accent, raindrops skidding down his smooth blue skin.

"Can you take us both at the same time?" Rogue asked, standing up rapidly since she realized that there was an inch of water covering the ground by now. She frowned slightly, helping the younger girl up. Was Storm trying to _drown_ them?

"I can only take one person at a time." Kurt replied with deep regret. "And we must hurry!"

"Take her first then. I can take better care of myself." Rogue decided rapidly. She noticed that the girl shook her head violently, whimpering in fear. The elder woman couldn't help feeling bad for both Kurt and the child because the child was traumatized, frightened, and Kurt was hurt at her fear of him.

"I won't hurt you." Kurt said in a soft voice, looking at the girl in her eyes.

Something about his eyes must have caught the girl's attention, because she stopped squirming against Rogue and just stared at them before hesitantly reaching out her hand and touching his skin. The odd part was that Kurt jumped slightly at the touch, yet in seconds he was back to normality and the girl had allowed him to grab hold of her and in a blink of an eye they were gone.

Turning back her attention to what was happening; Rogue ducked as a soldier noticed her and began firing in her direction. She cried out as the bullets pierced the boxes she was hiding behind and she threw herself on her stomach, inching away as quickly as she could.

"Leave her alone!" She heard Scott's voice call out, and the anger in his voice caused her skin to crawl. The young woman had never heard fury like that in his voice. There was a larger explosion of solar power than she had ever seen before, and she covered her eyes since the blast hurt her eyes slightly.

By the time the glare left from the explosion was lessened enough to open her eyes, Rogue felt a hand on her arm and she saw Scott helping her to her feet. "Are you alright? Were you hit?" He asked with a tremor in his voice. The young woman was only able to shake her head no before she felt arms go around her from behind and in a blink of an eye she was inside of the X-Men jet, in the company of the strange little girl.

The next second Scott appeared.

Rogue hurried towards him and wrapped her arms around him, burying her head in his chest and crying. She was so happy that he was there, safe and sound that she didn't notice his wound until he stiffened and winced. The young woman pulled away, not noticing that Nightcrawler had reappeared with Wolverine and then disappeared once more. All she noticed was that Scott had been shot. "Are you alright?" She then growled at herself. "Of course you're not alright. What an idiot I am! How did you get shot? Why am I asking these stupidly obvious questions?" She knew that she was rambling, yet she just couldn't get herself to stop.

Yet a small smile appeared on Scott's face as he used his good arm and gently lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. "Calm down Rogue, I'm alright." He seemed amazed at something, but suddenly he winced.

Rogue was surprised to feel the girl softly push her away. The elder woman watched as the child silently motioned for Scott to get on his knees. He was bleeding and in pain. The bullet was still wedged deep into his flesh, and the wound would grow infected if they couldn't get it out and disinfect the wound on time.

The girl looked at Scott and placed her bony fingers over his wound, causing him to wince and cry out in pain slightly. Rogue was about to tell the girl to stop it when she noticed Scott's amazed expression and realized that the blood-covered bullet was now resting in the girl's palm.

"Thank you." He whispered, tearing the sleeve of the shirt to be able to bandage his arm properly. Rogue hurried to help him apply pressure to his wound and she tied the material around it, stopping the flow of blood.

The girl looked up at Scott with large eyes and then reached for his other arm, opening it and placing the bullet there as if giving him a keepsake. She then hurried behind Wolverine and peeked out at Scott with that somber look of hers.

Rogue wondered if the child knew how to smile.

Wolverine frowned slightly. "If she's magnokinetic, why didn't she free herself?"

Scott's eyes were on the girl. "I think she's more than that." He looked as if he was about to say something else, but then he noticed that Storm and Nightcrawler had both appeared and his eyes rested on Storm. "Did you do it?"

The dark beauty smiled, hurrying towards the pilot's seat. "Did you know that water and lightning don't mix well? The combination is quite _shocking_."

Shaking his head at the pun, Scott returned to 'leader' mode. "Everyone in their seats, now. This is going to be a clean and quick getaway."

Rogue hurried to do as told and in seconds they were in the air and heading towards home. Storm had put on the heat since everyone except herself were soaking wet and practically freezing. But now they were nice and toasty. Rogue looked around the inside of the jet and saw Kurt sitting next to Storm as she flew them home. A small smile appeared on the younger woman's face as she enjoyed the comfortable companionship those two shared. They shared an intimate smile, not knowing that she was watching them, and the sight of their shy affection caused Rogue to sigh.

Her eyes then rested in Logan's direction, and her smile grew rather cheeky. He was sitting on the other side of the jet, next to the young girl, who had rested her head on his shoulder and had her eyes closed. Logan looked so awkward that Rogue would have laughed if she wasn't so tired.

And last but not least, she looked at Scott, who was sitting next to her staring straight ahead of him, his body tense for no good reason. A slight frown rested on her face at his mood's sudden change, yet she sighed and shook her head before resting it against his shoulder, in the same fashion as the little girl with Logan. Rogue felt Scott stiffen in surprise before going completely relaxed and even placing his arm around her shoulder. She could feel the change in him completely as he returned to being her Scott. _Her Scott_. With that thought, a small smile appeared on Rogue's face as she closed her eyes and promptly fell asleep in his warm and loving embrace.

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Scott couldn't believe it. Rogue was sleeping snuggled against him as she had begun doing at night ever since her mutation problem had gone away. She acted as if Wolverine wasn't in the jet with him, as if her personal hero wasn't watching her pay attention to another man. The woman hadn't even been like this with _Bobby_ while around Wolverine, and they had been going out together!

That thought caused Scott to smile warmly as he began to feel his heart softening once more at the possibility that…that maybe Rogue…_We'll have to see_.

Once more Scott's thoughts returned to the quiet child with them. She hadn't muttered a word during their whole trip, and her eyes were frightening sometimes, because he could see hurt and pain in them. And worse, he saw fear. Yet, she seemed to feel safe with Wolverine and visibly preferred him to the others. _What is it with Wolverine and young girls?_

Scott remembered how she'd taken the bullet out of his flesh and a confused expression crossed his face. It hadn't felt as if the bullet had shot out, it had felt more as if his body was spitting out the bullet, and that didn't make sense. If she wasn't a magnokinetic, what exactly _was_ she? And what had those people been doing with her?

Shaking his head of those thoughts, the leader of the X-Men decided that Xavier would know what to do with the child and how to best help her. So with that weight lifted from his young shoulders, the young man allowed this thoughts to return to Rogue, who was sleeping so peacefully against him. She acted as if she belonged to him, belonged _with_ him. At that wonderful thought he smiled and kissed the crown of Rogue's head before closing his eyes and promptly falling asleep with his head rested against hers.

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Logan watched them in silence. They were in love, whether they realized it or not and even though he didn't exactly _like_ One-Eye, he could tell that the guy loved Marie—maybe even more than he had loved Jean. The dark haired man watched as they slept snuggled together, heads inclined towards the other. _Well, I don't think I can kill him now that Stripes has gone and fallen in love_. He sighed in disappointment, yet was reluctantly happy to know now that when he left, Marie wouldn't be alone anymore. Also, he wanted to know how in the world she could touch people now. What had happened to her mutation?

Feeling the head of the girl leaning against him beginning to slide, Logan softly pushed it back into a comfortable position, suddenly wondering where this softer side of his had come from. He decided that it was because the girl looked so fragile that she would break in half if you breathed hard enough in her direction. _Bastards. How could they do this to this child?_ And what was it with him and young girls?

With a snort and shake of his head, Wolverine spent the rest of the trip in thoughtful silence.

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**I UPDATED! Okay, the next chapters are going to be all Scott/Rogue! I swear they will! I have to get those two together and to admit that they are in Lurve! Lol. I hope that I haven't lost all of you wonderful people because of my slow updates but I just couldn't come up with an idea for Japan—as I mentioned above. I hope that you can forgive me and leave me a review! **

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	7. Chapter 7: A Couple

_ Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men. I DO own the strange little girl in last and this chapter though._

_** Thanks to everyone that reviewed!**_

Sorry that I haven't updated, but I got married and moved to a different country. I don't have internet at home and I hardly have time to write the chapters, much less update them! Thank you to all those who still read this story!

PLUS! I HAVE WRITTEN THE THREE REMAINING CHAPPIES TO THE STORY! SO WHEN YOU FINISH THIS ONE, GIVE A LITTLE REVIEW, AND GO ONTO THE NEXT CHAPTER, AND THEN REVIEW THAT ONE AND ONTO THE EPILOGUE!

WARNING: SLIGHT SLIGHT SLIGHT SPOILER FOR X-3 

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The next day they arrived at Xavier's School of Gifted Youth and Rogue leaned sleepily against Scott as they entered the facility. Storm and Kurt led the procession, Rogue sleepily leaned against Scott as they followed, and Logan walked slightly behind, carrying the sleeping girl. It was so odd to see Logan so compassionate and caring, or so gentle…the sight made Rogue smile.

Suddenly the doors flew open and the students rushed to greet them. Bobby and his mother were at the back of the group, and Rogue saw the blue-eyed hunk smile shyly in her direction, welcoming her back yet keeping his distance. It was so odd to be distanced from Bobby, yet the young woman knew that she would have to get used to it from now on.

Wheeling his way through the crowd, Xavier suddenly froze as his eyes rested on the sleeping girl. Breathing seemed hard for him as he slowly advanced, his eyes watering suspiciously. "Genie?"

Jerking in her sleep, the young girl opened her eyes with a slight frown at Wolverine, still slightly disorientated. Her arms were around Wolverine's neck, her grip tightened slightly as she suddenly jerked once more, frowning deeper. The girl turned around slightly in the elder man's arms and her eyes widened the moment they rested on the crippled mutant smiling up at her with tears in his eyes.

"_Genie_!"

The girl suddenly tried jerking out of Wolverine's arms, and the moment Logan lowered her from where he held her bridal style, she silently rushed towards Professor Xavier and fell on her knees in front of him, burying her face in his chest.

"Genie, we thought that you had been _killed_." Xavier's voice was choked, and for a moment, everyone else seemed to disappear. "I couldn't find you in Cerebro…I…I don't understand, Genie, how is it that you hid yourself from us?" His eyes beheld the nearly skeletal girl. "Oh, what have they _done_ to you?"

The girl lifted her face and everyone was surprised to see thick tears staining her skin. No one had heard her crying, and they were surprised to see how wet the professor's shirt had become in such little time. Large doe eyes stared back at Xavier.

The old man surveyed her bony body, and for the first time that she could remember, Rogue saw hatred in Professor Xavier's usually docile eyes. "What did they do to you? Tell me!"

Logan raised an eyebrow. "You mean the midget can talk?"

Xavier raised his worried eyes to meet Logan's. "Of course she can talk, Genie is the regular chatterbox, why do you---?" He turned slightly gray and returned his attention to the young girl. "Come and sit on my lap, Genie, I'll take us on a ride inside. Okay?"

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The professor had locked himself in his study with the crying young girl, and rumors were flying through the school. Who was the girl and how did Xavier know her? Rogue pondered these things as well as she walked along the basketball court with Scott at her side. Usually she would be beside Logan, yet she had no desire to leave Scott's company. It was like a drug that had her addicted to his very smile.

"It's good to be home." The lovely young woman sighed as she breathed in the smell of the flowers blossoming all around them. She'd always associated the smell of flowers with the smell that encircled Xavier's School of Gifted Youth, and for Rogue, this school _was_ her heaven.

"I think I'm getting too old for the 'let's go save the world' routine." Scott joked as he rubbed his sore neck.

"Oh c'mon sugah, you still got three good years left in you." She teased and gave into giggles when she saw the horrified expression covering the handsome man's face. "Two?"

"Why you---." Scott exclaimed as he lounged for the younger woman, yet she dodged his attack with an excited squeal and began running across the abandoned basketball court. Chasing the fast young woman, Scott was secretly glad that he had longer legs than she did. It meant that every step he took brought him closer and closer to his squealing prey. "Gotcha!" He exclaimed as he grabbed hold of Rogue, yet the force caused them to fall down on the grass on the other side of the court. Both bodies tumbled, wrestling, until they came to a stop, Scott straddling Rogue and smirking at her while she laughed happily and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Okay, okay, I'll admit it! You've got _one_ good year left in you!" She then began squealing when Scott started ticking her ruthlessly. The dark haired woman shifted her body constantly under Scott, trying to get out from this attack, and she was surprised when she heard him groan and then go still above her. Eyes widening, Rogue suddenly felt something growing against her stomach, and she shuddered for a second at the implications.

"Rogue---" Scott groaned lightly when the mischievous young woman shifted under him once more, yet this time quite intentionally. "I think we should go inside right now."

"I'm quite comfortable where I am, thank-you-very-much." Rogue stated quite defiantly with another little shift just for the heck of it.

"Rogue," His voice was quite choked and the handsome young man couldn't look her in her eyes. "I don't think we--."

"I'm never going to be good enough for you, am I?" She suddenly exploded with eyes narrowed. "Even now that I'm not Rogue the Untouchable, you _still_ won't even look in my direction! I know that the Doc was a wonderful woman, don't think I don't know how important she was for you and how much you loved her…but she's _gone_, Scott, and if you can't see something good in front of you then I---."

Stilling, Scott tilted his head, a wondering expression on his face. "You meant _me_ when you were talking about Rogue the Untouchable in your dream?" Suddenly a brilliant smile covered Scott's face and before Rogue sputtered the insult on the tip of her tongue, he lowered his face to hers and captured her lips in a possessive and binding kiss.

Groaning, Rogue grew still for a second, yet when Scott's tongue traced her lips she gasped and the rapid male used that opportunity to slip it into her mouth, attacking her senses and causing her to grow rather dizzy.

Pulling away slightly, Scott smiled. "How could you ever" quick kiss "think that you weren't good enough for me?" Yet he captured her mouth, quieting her once more.

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Turning away from the window, Logan smirked. Now _that_ might lessen the thick unresolved sexual tension he'd smelt whenever those two were around each other. Then again, now that the man thought it over, he couldn't remember a time when they _hadn't_ been stuck to each other like a Siamese twin. It was quite sickening actually. Yet the only thing that made it bearable was that Logan found their clueless state quite entertaining.

Feeling as if he were being watched, Logan looked towards the doorway only to see the professor wheeling himself into the kitchen, the young girl Genie walking next to his wheelchair obediently.

"She talked yet?" The younger man was interested in knowing as he opened the refrigerator door and shook his head to see the lack of beer. Contenting himself with a soda, he closed the door and turned to look expectantly at Xavier.

"Unfortunately no." Professor Xavier sighed, a tired smile appearing on his face as the little girl walked cautiously towards Logan and reached for his hand, leaning her head against him. "I don't find any physical reason for why she won't speak; it is as if she is afraid to do so, or just refuses to do so."

"Spite the devil I always say." He looked down oddly at the girl, slightly disturbed at how much she seemed to like him. "Who is she anyway?"

"Genie was Jean's niece. And my goddaughter." Seeing Logan's jerk, Xavier nodded. "Her mother and her were attacked by mutant-haters and we found what was left of her mother, yet we never found any trace of Genie. Jenna wasn't a mutant, and she swore that Genie's father—whoever he might be—wasn't a mutant either and didn't have any case of mutation in his family, but somehow Genie was born with the mutant gene…thus her name. Jean and I did all we could, but we couldn't find Genie on Cerebro, so we believed that she was dead also. I still don't understand how she could have hidden herself from Cerebro."

"What exactly is she?" Still referring to the girl as 'she' instead of her name, the handsome man tried taking a step away from Genie, only to have the girl follow his step the second he did so. How could a little girl leave him nervous and uneasy when millions of ugly, blood-thirsty mutants ready to pull out his heart didn't?

"She's a Bio-kinetic." Xavier declared, staring rather fondly at his quiet goddaughter. "It means that she can control her body--."

"Like Mystique?" Taking another step away from the child, Logan made a face when she did so as well. Well, she was as persistent as Mystique.

"No, Mystique is a shape-shifter." Xavier patiently clarified with a shake of his head. "Genie has control over her body, and if her powers were developed properly, she could be able to control other people's bodies, and vital organs."

Logan gulped at what Mystique would do if _she_ had control over _his_ body. "How…disturbing…to say the least."

Chuckling good-naturedly the professor nodded. "I think that she might very well have enough control over her mutation to control…to a small extent…other people's bodies…if Scott's injury is to be taken into account."

"One Eye did mention that it felt like his skin pushing out the bullet. But I have a doubt. If midget can control Scott's body, then why didn't she just close up his wound completely and not just remove the bullet?"

A frown appeared on the girl's face as she tilted her head to the side, as if taking this into consideration. The somber look never left her face as she walked passed Logan and opened the fridge's door, looking through the contents and pulling out someone's ham sandwich. Taking a bite out of the sandwich she still seemed lost in her thoughts, only looking at professor Xavier and Logan when she seemed to hit a roadblock. Yet she'd just shake her head and take another bite.

Amused with her actions, Xavier turned to Logan. "I think that her powers aren't _completely_ developed, yet she's managed to get _some_ control over them." His smile turned into a frown as he stared at the young girl, a sigh escaping his lips. "If only Jean were alive, she'd be able to help her better than I. And she'd be so happy to have her family with her again. She mourned Jenna and Genie's death till her own."

A glass half-filled with milk that had been abandoned on the table suddenly began to shake and without warning exploded, sending pieces of glass flying everywhere.

Logan, not having the mental power like Xavier to protect himself from the flying pieces of glass, pulled two out of his skin and lazily watched himself heal. Then turning to the quiet girl to make sure that she hadn't been hurt, he was surprised to see pieces of glass floating in front of her in the air. A smirk appeared on his face. "You can let them drop now professor."

There was a moment of silence from the elder man. "I'm not doing that."

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A contented smile appeared on Rogue's flushed face as they entered the cafeteria hand in hand. The eyes of many were on them, and if it hadn't been for Scott's reassuring squeeze she would have run out. People, especially students, began whispering amongst themselves, seeing Rogue and Scott together, holding hands…gloves not included…flushed and looking happier than they had ever seen them.

When Scott kissed her cheek and headed towards the Teacher's Tables, Rogue's smile grew. Heading to where Jubilee and Kitty were sitting, eyeing her with mouths open, she knew that a long interrogatory was about to happen. They hadn't even known about her temporary loss of power, and considering how they deemed themselves the school's gossips, they wouldn't know what to be more horrified to not know before others…that Rogue could touch people now, or that Rogue and Scott were obviously a couple.

A couple.

Thanking the serving girl, Rogue played with her food, ignoring her friends for now. While Scott hadn't _officially_ asked her to be his girlfriend (How childish that sounded!) she felt as if they were married! That was probably because of the many nights that they slept together…slept together.

Shivering slightly, Rogue blushed. Now that she could touch people, and, well, _they_ could touch each other…and Scott and her had sorta confessed mutual feelings…well…would there be a difference tonight to the others? Would they _really_ sleep together, in the vulgar sense of the term?

The thought made her grow nervous. Having been forced to not touch anyone had doomed any possibility of intimacy, so she wasn't anything other than a simple virgin. Scott was used to Doc, an experienced woman. What if she, Rogue, let him down? What if he didn't like her in bed?

Sensing someone's eyes on her she looked around and smiled at Logan. He was sitting at the Teacher's Table with the others, despite the fact that he wasn't a teacher. Then again, whenever he _did_ drop by the school he acted as a sub…so then again…it really wasn't that odd that he was sitting there. Rogue had been very worried about how Logan would take her grand entry with the man he termed 'One Eye', yet he just shrugged as if saying "well, what did you expect me to do? Gut him?" and winked, causing her smile to grow larger.

She would have to worry about sexually inadequacy later, because Bobby made his way to her table and Jubilee made a space for him, allowing him to sit next to Rogue.

He was quiet for a moment, and when he looked at her, it was surprisingly shy. "Hello."

"Hey Bobby."

"I'm glad you returned safe and sound. I was worried about you." Lowering his gaze, he was silent for a moment. "I see that things between Mr. Summers and you are getting serious."

"Yes, they are. I love him, Bobby." Ignoring Kitty and Jubilee as they gasped and then squealed, Rogue placed her hand on Bobby's.

Wincing, Bobby took in a deep breath before clearing his throat, still not meeting her gaze. "Does he love you?"

"I don't know."

Suddenly realizing that she wasn't wearing gloves, Bobby narrowed his eyes, bringing them to meet hers. "You don't zap anymore?"

Smiling at his pet name for her power, Rogue nodded. "I lost my power momentarily, but according to professor Xavier I should be regaining it very soon, except this time with complete control over it." For a moment she debated whether to tell him or not, but remembering that they had promised to remain friends, she decided to share it with him. "It's thanks to Scott. I can't tell you the details, but if it wasn't for him I would never have regained physical contact."

He seemed in pain and it took him some moments to answer. When he did his voice was choked. "I'm glad for you, Rogue. I really hope you'll be happy. Believe me."

"I do."

------------------------------------

"So, you sure about what you feel for him? I don't want you confused and then regretting what you're no doubt going to do once lights go out."

Giving a little laugh, Rogue nodded, hating her blush. "Yes Logan. I'm sure that I love him."

"If he hurts you I'll kill him." As they looked up at the stars by the window, Logan smoked one of his cigars. "You two should just tell each other that you love the other and get this badly-written soap-opera over with. You give him cow eyes when you think he isn't looking and he does the same to you. It's sickening. Do a pal a favor and stop."

Blushing, Rogue had thought that no one saw the way she looked at Scott. She would have to look around better next time. "Yes sir, anything else, sir?"

"Don't get cheeky with me you little wench." Logan muttered, taking a puff of his cigar. "One Eye or not I can still give you a good clobbering."

Changing the subject since he was rather cranky and no doubt would live up to his threat, Rogue's eyes went to the thin creature sitting to Xavier's right and looking right back at them. She'd gained considerable weight the couple of hours after arriving…which Rogue found peculiar. "What's the story with Genie?"

"Not much. Quite boring actually." Logan announced with slight indifference. "Jean's niece, Xavier's granddaughter, Bio-kinetic able to hide herself from Cerebro, and apparently Jean wasn't the only one in her family who is a strong mental-path."  
"_What_?" That fell on her like cold water during a winter's blizzard. The girl was Jean's _niece_? How would Scott take that? Would he take it as a sign that he wasn't supposed to be with her, Rogue, and that he should stay true to Jean? _Was_ that what Genie's appearance mean? _Why did things have to get so complicated right when I thought things were suddenly beginning to work out?_

As if reading her mind, Logan seemed to find his cigar quite interesting all of a sudden. "The Professor just took Cykes aside, he's probably telling him about it now." Seeing her worried glance, he sighed. "I don't think that he's going to let something like that change what he feels."

"Do you really think that or are you just saying that because you don't want to have to continue giving me love advice?"

But Logan didn't answer. His eyes followed movement and Rogue turned to see Genie standing behind her, looking up at her curiously. Taking Rogue's hand, she tilted her head to the side and frowned, bewildered expression gone. Squeezing Rogue's hand her eyes widened and Genie took a step towards her before placing her hand on her stomach, confusing both adults.

"What the heck is she doing?" Logan wanted to know before raising an eyebrow. "You wouldn't be pregnant, would you?"

The possibility made her laugh. She had only learnt what a real kiss was two hours ago! "Impossible."

Turning to Genie, he put out his cigar. "Hey, midget. What are you doing?"

Ignoring him for the first time since she'd met him, Genie kept her hand on Rogue's stomach, a sleepy expression appearing in her large doe eyes. Suddenly her body stiffened, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed to the ground.

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"Are you sure she's okay?" Scott asked the professor after he came out of the clinic. Logan, Rogue and he were waiting on the professor to see if Genie was alright. He'd been worried that the only living relative of Jean Grey had died before he could even introduce himself.

"Of course. She wrote that she'd had a vision, that that was all. As if it were nothing out of the ordinary." Still shaky from the thought of losing his goddaughter once more, Xavier cleared his throat. "I didn't even know that she had mental powers until this evening. How could she have hidden herself and her powers from Cerebro? How can she be so strong?"

From where he sat, still puffing away, Logan leaned forwards. "Well, she _is_ related to Jean. Considering that it shouldn't be surprising that she's extremely strong."

Getting up from her seat, Rogue reached for Scott's hand and squeezed it. "What did she see?"

There was a moment of silence. The old man seemed to grow pale. "She wrote that it was good that you and Scott held strong feelings for each other. That way he would never go back to the Lake."

Scott was silent for a moment, exchanging glances with a blushing Rogue, before returning a frown to the professor. "_The_ lake? Where Jean died?" Seeing the professor nod, he let go of Rogue's hand and placed his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. "But why? Why did she say that? What would happen if I did?"

"I asked her the same question." Xavier's eyes met Scott's. "She wrote that some people are best left dead." Not much was said after that, and each said their goodnights, readying to go to sleep after a tiring day, taking their troubling thoughts and worries with them.

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Logan was glad that he never carried much with him. He hated packing, and tomorrow he planned on _borrowing_ Cyke's newest car and heading out. He had his own past to discover, and now that Quid seemed to be a dead end he would have to continue searching on his own. Stripes was fine, even though she was with One Eye. Logan wouldn't have to keep coming back so often as to keep an eye out for her, now she had someone to keep her out of trouble.

Glad that someone capable had been given the dirty work, he looked down at the dog tags in his hands. She'd given them back to him before going to bed. Said she'd found her way home and now he needed to find his, that maybe these would bring him good luck. A man who didn't believe in luck, he'd just snorted and accepted them again.

Getting ready for his early departure he turned off the light, falling into a dreamless sleep.

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Sitting in Cerebro, Xavier was puzzled. Even with her sleeping in her new bed in the mansion, he couldn't pick up Genie on Cerebro. She wasn't among the humans or the mutants. Why couldn't he pick up her signal? And why did he feel as if she was keeping a horrible secret? Why wouldn't she speak? And why had she said that it was best for Jean to remain dead? What was going on?

With a sigh, Xavier decided that he needed to sleep.

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Jolting in bed, Genie was still half asleep, yet what she'd seen was fresh in her mind. Getting up from bed she sensed her godfather sleeping in his room. He was tired and wouldn't sense her. This was the best time to act.

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Jubilee had asked her every question under the sun, and Rogue had had to wait for too long for the girl to fall asleep, yet now that she was snoring in her bed, Rogue stood by the door, too afraid to go out. What if things didn't work out? What if she was a total failure? What if she didn't live up to Jean's memory?

_ You'll never know if you don't try_.

Taking in a deep breath, Rogue opened the door and closed it behind her, heading towards Scott's room. Tonight would be the moment of truth.

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Hello everyone! I'm back! Well, I'll just let you know that there will probably be approx. two more chapters to this story, so bare with me please! I hope you will like it and will leave me some reviews to nudge me on and bug the heck out of me until I finish those two chapters, thus ending the story! I already know how this story is going to end…with a surprise…I just hope that all of you will like it! 


	8. Chapter 8: I Love You

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men or anyone or thing that appears in the comic strips/cartoons/movies. I DO own Genie. That's all. Please believe me.

I hope you all forgive me! Three chapters at once! Is it enough for you all to forgive me for having momentarily forgotten about this fic? Huh? Huh? Huh? Please say "YA!" when you review and then go onto the Epilogue!

SPOILER WARNING: If you haven't gone and seen X-Men III The Last Stand, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Great movie, except, as one of my reviewers pointed out, what they did to Rogue and Scott. Well, Rogue in the end not so much, but Scott yes. Other than that, most references to Jean in this chapter are altered spoilers for the third movie. Those who have seen the third movie will know which ones they are, and which ones I'm just making up to make things more interesting.

HETERO SEXUAL CONTENT: Rating: Soft Lime

I'm not really good at Hentai, or sexual scenes. I'm going out on a limb writing the hopefully brief yet good sex scene, hahaha. **nervous laughter**. I really don't want this story (or any I write for that matter) to be centered on sex. I want it to be centered on the _feelings and emotions and love_ that the characters have for each other. Because, if you really just concentrate on the sex, it'll end up being just sex, or at least that is how I feel about the matter.

All that said and done, I hope that you like this chapter!

* * *

Scott sat nervously on his bed. It was late and she hadn't arrived. Maybe her friends were still awake, or maybe she'd just fallen asleep waiting for them to do so. He'd heard about Jubilee's ability of speech, and when she was curious she was insatiable.

Quickly getting up from his bed he rubbed his hands together. Scott had a surprise for Rogue, and he hoped that she came before he got cold feet.

* * *

On her way to her destination, Genie froze, feeling the electricity that ran up and down her spine. Narrowing her eyes she turned in the darkness, eyes scanning each shadow. Tilting her head to the side she changed route and walked out towards the balcony. Eyes growing accustomed to the change in light, she noticed that the door to the balcony was left open, and someone was sitting on the edge of the balcony.

Images of a scream and a body hitting the cement below crossed before her eyes and she rushed towards the body. Since he hadn't heard her she used surprise on her behalf and grabbed armfuls of his jacket, pulling him hard backwards and getting out of the way so that he didn't fall back on top of her.

When he fell onto the balcony safe and sound, if not slightly bruised, Genie turned to look at who would have jumped off of the balcony if she hadn't had to come in this direction to get to where she needed to go. In the light of the moon she distinguished blonde hair and blue eyes. It was the boy Bobby Drake, the one she'd seen speaking to Rogue during dinner.

He looked up at her, tears in his eyes. And all she could do was go on her knees and hug him. She had listened to people's conversations when Scott and Rogue entered the room together, and she knew that Bobby loved Rogue. She knew what it was to lose someone she loved, she'd never gotten over her mother's death, and so she could sympathize with Bobby's loss, even if it was much lesser.

His pain radiated from his body as he wrapped his arms around her and cried. Images of Rogue and Bobby passed through Genie's eyes as all that was hurting him jumped at her. She saw how he loved Rogue, how he'd always been insecure with John because of the slight attraction he'd believed existed between his girlfriend and best friend. She saw his worry for his girlfriend, their first kiss, and then the next one that had robbed him momentarily of his powers…zapping him. She saw his pain as he began realizing that Rogue's attention was being centered on Scott…pain growing as he noticed that the leader of the X-Men reciprocated that attention, if not more. His fear of losing the woman he loved as he realized that she was beginning to change towards him; filled Genie's body and caused a tear to appear in the corner of her eye.

Suddenly another image popped up. He was breaking up with Rogue, not because he didn't love her, but because he loved her so very much, and couldn't stand it any longer. His pain was growing, not even the arrival of his mother could dampen the pain that cracked at his heart. And the little of his heart that was left broke the moment Rogue and Scott returned, hand in hand. The love they radiated, the happiness, the loving kiss…he'd witnessed their lovingness while they kissed out by the basketball court. It had been the hardest thing for him to do, he'd even had to freeze his feet against the ground to make sure that he wouldn't turn away from what he was seeing.

_I love him, Bobby_.

Those four words seemed to ring hauntingly throughout his head, torturing him.

Deciding that her mission would have to wait for a couple of minutes more, Genie closed her eyes and concentrated. She had to relax him. She'd learnt that technique while kidnapped. If she relaxed her captors they wouldn't have much of desire to hurt her with the electricity that was attached to her cage. They'd feel content with life and very lazy, and that's what she needed Bobby to feel now. The young girl needed him to feel happy and sleepy.

When he relaxed, she pulled away and got to her feet, helping him to his. Holding his hand, she brought him inside, making a face. She'd made him _too_ relaxed. He was about to collapse right there. They wouldn't make it to wherever his room was. So she led him to the sofa and helped him lay down. Turning on the heat, she watched him sleeping, a smile playing on her lips.

Now that that crisis had been avoided, she squared her shoulders. Her mission awaited.

* * *

Reaching Scott's room, Rogue narrowed her eyes as she saw the closed boxes that stood outside. Millions of questions flooded through her mind. Was Scott planning on moving? Had he ordered something and they'd arrived? If that was so, why hadn't he taken them inside? Maybe they'd arrived _after_ he went to his room and no one wanted to bother him to tell him they had arrived.

Turning the doorknob, she was surprised to find the light off. Had Scott gone to sleep? Closing the door behind her she couldn't see anything. Scott had probably fallen asleep waiting on her. So much for the itsy bitsy pajama set Jubilee had leant her.

Suddenly the lights came on, blinding her momentarily. Hands to her eyes, she rubbed them until the soreness disappeared. When she opened them her mouth fell open. Scott standing in boxers and a sleeveless T-Shirt wasn't what surprised her. Nor was his timid smile what made her feel close to tears.

All of Jean's things had suddenly disappeared, leaving the room looking bare.

"I loved Jean." Scott announced hurriedly after clearing his throat nervously. "But she's gone, and I think that it's time to move on. I think its time to stop mourning, and to get along with my life. And ever since that night that we slept together for the first time my feelings for you have changed as well."

She wanted to smile, wanted to squeal, wanted to throw herself on top of him and continue with those kisses that he'd bathed her in that evening. But she knew that this was something very important for him, so she kept quiet, kept still, nodding for him to continue.

"At first I thought it was just a deep friendship, and then, when I realized that it was more than that, I denied it, feeling guilty as hell that I was able to feel something for a woman that wasn't Jean." Running his fingers through ruffled hair, Scott continued. "But now I'm ready to accept my feelings."

Heart in hand, Rogue gulped, hoping that it wasn't audible.

"I—I love you, Rogue."

Too happy to speak, Rogue just blinked, mouth forming an O and eyes widening.

Obviously misinterpreting her reaction, Scott took a step towards her. "I know that for you this might be quick and maybe you think that I'm in rebound, but I swear that it isn't that. What I feel for you is true love and I--."

"I love you too, Scott."

Stopping his rambling, Scott smiled genuinely for the first time since she'd entered the room. Leaving words behind they met each in mid step and Rogue fell into his open arms, enjoying his warm embrace before his lips met hers. The kiss was passionate yet loving at the same time, and when Scott reluctantly ended it minutes later, he kept her in his arms, placing his chin on her head. "Rogue, I know that you're going to definitely think that I'm rushing things, but, well, you're eighteen and you'll soon be graduating. I was talking to the professor and he says that you have never mentioned a family you wish to return home to, and I've never heard you speak about what you are going to do when you graduate."

She frowned against his chest. "I've never really thought about what I'd do once I graduated."

"Well, _I_ have." Making her look at him, Scott cleared his throat. "Rogue, what I'm really trying to say is that I want you to move in here with me, and to sub in my class. Each year more students arrive and I'll need help…and I couldn't think of a better helper than _you_, the woman I love." Seeing her eyes widen, he cleared his throat, slightly nervous. "I understand that this is a serious decision and that you will want time to think about it before giving me an--."

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I'd _love_ to move in with you! I love you Scott Summers!" Flinging her arms around his neck, Rogue pressed her lips to his, seeking him hungrily.

* * *

Still moving on towards her destination, Genie gave a little sigh, looking around her in annoyance. Once again she wasn't alone. What was it now? Didn't anyone sleep in this mansion? How many more obstacles would she have to pass? She'd already had to pass the boy who changed channels with a blink of his eye. He'd been in the TV room and hadn't noticed her. But who was out here now?

Sensing movement in the kitchen she cracked open the door, looking in at the lit kitchen. The blue mutant Kurt, and the weather-controller Storm, were sitting by the table, laughing happily together, eating some ice cream and drinking milk. They looked so happy together, so content with life, enriched with the other's company.

A sigh escaped her as she remembered what she'd seen when she'd taken Kurt's hand before he teleported her to the jet. Storm and Kurt's happiness wouldn't last long. The storm of death would reign on school and Kurt would not survive it. He would die saving the woman he loved yet never had the courage to tell her so.

_No greater love is there than the one who is willing to die for another_.

Saving the image of their smiles and laughter in her head, Genie closed the door behind her and leaned against the wall. This was the time of peace, the time to be used in loving and being loved. In a little while it would be too late.

Shaking her head she remembered that things would get out of control if she continued getting distracted by the people who lived in this mansion. She needed to go get there before someone found her and discovered what she was about to do.

* * *

Rolling in bed, Xavier slept restless. Dreams and nightmares filled his head as terrifying images of both Jean and Genie rushed before him. He saw their similarities and differences, he compared their powers, compared their personalities. Hellish fire seemed to rain down around him, separating both females. Jean was surrounded by a red glow and Genie by a green one. Both facing the other, both keeping they're backs at him.

Something bad was going to happen. He could feel it, his nightmares were telling him that the mutant world hadn't found the peace that it had been searching for; the peace they had thought that they'd finally found. This was only a moment's respite in a time of war. Something had started with Genie's liberation, the clock had begun, counting down until doom.

Jean called out to him, called out his name, telling him to be careful, to help, to help her niece. He hadn't been able to help her, but he had to help Genie. Magneto laughed in the background, causing shivers to run up and down Charles Xavier's spine. Genie was screaming, Jean was screaming. Blood spurted. Blackness fell.

Something was about to happen, something horrible was about to happen.

He had to wake up. He had to get up and warn everyone in the mansion. But he couldn't. Something was interfering, something, or someone, was keeping him asleep, trapped in his own dreams and hellish nightmares.

* * *

Growling, Wolverine laid rock still in the bed. Horrifying dreams of a past he couldn't remember were mixed with equally horrifying ones of Jean. She was screaming, calling out to him, clawing like an animal at the water that surrounded her.

Turning to lay on his side, his claws appeared and disappeared into his knuckles. In his dreams there was destruction on every corner. Fire fell from the sky, and a nearly hellish red ball seemed to float in the air, the heat and chaos emanating from that ball.

People fell on ever side. Screams echoed throughout his head, giving him a headache, the heat in his dream causing him to sweat and kick off his blankets.

_Come to me, Logan. Come. Follow my voice, find me. Don't leave me alone._

He was in a dark room, unable to see or smell anything. But he could hear her voice, and flashes of images screamed at him, echoing off the wall of his head.

_Logan…Logan…are you there? Can you hear me? Logan, I'm here, touch my hand_.

He looked around, trying to find her, trying to find where she was; yet he was surrounded by different images. All were screaming at him, all of them were her. All of them were reaching out their hands. A wall of water rushed towards her.

_Logan! Help me! Logan!_

Sheets soaked in sweat, he groaned, claws retracting permanently as he shot up in bed, still asleep.

"_Jean_."

* * *

Rolling on the bed, they fought with each other, tearing at the other's clothes, desperate for skin. Rogue didn't care that Jubilee's pajama was completely destroyed, torn brutally by Scott, she couldn't even digest the fact that she was as naked as the day she was born.

Giving a cry when his head disappeared between her legs, Rogue felt a moment of slight panic. What in the world was he doing with his head _there_? Yet when she felt his tongue trail across her slit she gave a jump and tried to wriggle away.

Pulling away, Scott turned to look at her. "Trust me."

Nodding, Rogue gulped loudly and tried relaxing, yet when his tongue once more connected with her slit she gave a squeal. Little electric shocks ran throughout her body, causing her to whimper, to grab handfuls of the sheet. When his tongue slipped through her folds she gave a little squeal at the sensations of pleasure that raced throughout her body. She couldn't believe that someone could cause so much pleasure with only his tongue. If he was _this_ good with a tongue imagine how he was going to be with his…_well…_

* * *

The pain rent her body and Genie fell to her knees, clenching her fists at the nearly scorching heat that exploded around her, trying to melt her, trying to keep her from what she was going to do. Yet she bit hard into her lip, drawing blood, as she forced herself up from her feet, closing her eyes since the heat was nearly blinding. Taking a step proved painful yet she continued.

She was almost there.

_You're not going to stop me_.

* * *

She was frightened. She knew that Scott wouldn't hurt her, yet while she hadn't ever had sex before she'd heard Kitty and Jubilee talking about their 'first time', and the pain they'd experienced had terrified her. Plus images of when she was younger, when _he_ tried hurting her, kept reappearing. For a couple of seconds she hadn't seen Scott above her, but _him_. Her uncle.

Closing her eyes tightly, Rogue kept repeating in her head that it was Scott, the man she loved. She didn't have a reason to fear, Scott loved her, _really_ loved her. He would never do anything to hurt her, on the contrary, he'd proven to her enough times that he would give his life for her if it was necessary. Things this time would be different, things this time would be magical.

Clearing her throat nervously, she began breathing in and out evenly, which was hard considering that Scott was licking her neck…and she was as frightened as hell. Fear that her body would go back into 'protect' mode kept her efforts to calm herself strong, yet she felt as if she was beginning to lose the battle.

Positioning himself, Scott's lips pressed themselves against hers lovingly. "I love you Rogue."

"I love you too." She said rushed, breathing in and out, eyes closed so tight they were beginning to hurt her.

There was a moment of silence as Scott stilled above her. "Rogue…if you're not ready for this, if you don't feel like you can do this now, we can stop."

Eyes opening in shock, Rogue's eyebrows touched in a surprised frown. "Really? We can stop what we're about to do? You won't get angry?"

A genuine smile appeared on his face as perfect milky whites appeared. "Of course I won't get angry." Rolling off of her, Scott pulled Rogue's body against his and he kissed the top of her head. "I love you Rogue. I don't love you for sex, and I don't love you for just right now. I want to love you forever, and I'll wait until you feel ready to take this step."

"What if I never feel ready? What if--."

"Shh." Placing a finger over her lips, Scott shushed her fears. "Everything will work out. I want you to know that I'm never going to force you to do anything that you don't want to do or don't feel ready to do. I love you and I'll wait for how long you need." A mischievous smile appeared on his face, and she suspected that he might be blushing, but it might be a reflection from his visor. "I'm not saying that it's going to be _easy_ sleeping next to you each night without having you, but I'm more than willing to wait for you because I know that you love me and that one day you will be ready to be completely mine."

"No." Pushing Scott away she straddled him. "Not one day." A slow smile grew on her face as she ran her fingers lovingly through his hair and then caressed his face. "I want to be yours now. I love you and trust you. I know that you won't hurt me." And before he could speak, she positioned them and pushed down.

* * *

Getting comfortable, Genie stretched. The cool was now warring with the heat and winning, and she smiled smugly. She'd done it, and now she could sleep. Turning around, trying to find a comfortable position, she closed her eyes. If what she'd seen was true—something that she didn't have a doubt wasn't true—things were going to get a lot worse.

Feeling the intense happiness that suddenly entered the air, the young girl smirked.

_At least _**one**_ of the couples have joined._

* * *

Wetting his face, Logan looked at his wretched reflection in the bathroom mirror. Face pale as the moon contrasted against the dark backs under tortured eyes. Jean's voice hadn't allowed him to sleep. And since spending the night looking at himself in the mirror wasn't very exciting he'd decided to start his journey a couple of hours earlier. That way he would be able to borrow Scott's newest toy without the other man knowing. A clean getaway. No strings attached. A past to discover. He was a new man.

Wiping his face he threw the towel on the ground and turned off the light. That lovely red Porsche convertible awaited.

* * *

Sweaty and sticky, two bodies lay side by side. Rogue lay with her head against Scott's body, an awed smile on her face. Looking up at him she blushed at the smugly content expression on his face. He looked very much like a cat that had managed to eat the canary and successfully frame the dog. He chuckled and shook his head, kissing the top of her head.

"Wow."

A giggle escaped and Rogue nodded, sliding higher up his body until she was face to face with him. Giving his cheek a peck she pulled up the blanket them and cuddled, getting closer, feeling as if they were melting into one being.

"I love you Scott."

"And I love _you_, Rogue."

Contented, she closed her eyes and fell asleep with his arm around her protectively, and her head resting in the crook of his arm.

Hearing her breathing growing swallow, Scott watched as she slept against him. She was the most beautiful sight, sleeping there peacefully, trustingly. He knew that it hadn't been easy for her to give him her body, and he'd been ready to wait for her as long as she needed; yet she'd surprised him by taking the initiatives and giving him her virginity. What had followed was the most beautiful, spiritual and carnal experience he'd ever felt. With Jean he'd felt passion, yet with Rogue…with Rogue it was a completely different feeling.

At the thought of Jean he looked around his room. _His_ room. It wasn't _theirs_ anyone. And soon, it was going to be _Rogue's_ and his room. All of Jean's things were going to be shipped to her family, as they should have been a very long time ago.

_Scott…Scott_.

Blinking, Scott saw her image, saw Jean right before the large wave hit her.

_Scott!_

Then the image changed and she was wearing one of her sunny yellow dresses. She was smiling, her perfume strong. That citrus smell invading his senses as she blew him a little kiss, and then winking playfully.

_Come to me, Scott. Come to the Lake. Come and bring me back home, Scott. I'm waiting for you._

Feeling Rogue moving against him brought Scott out of his trance. The power that had taken control of him was being repelled, and with her little whimper it was broken completely. Narrowing his eyes, Scott held the woman he loved closer. Genie had mentioned something about the Lake; that he must never go back there. So why was Jean's ghost calling him back?

_I'm sorry Jean_. He said in a prayer. _But I love Rogue, and I'm going to let your memory rest in peace_. Turning off his light, he cuddled next to Rogue. Scott fell asleep, a smile on his face. A new phase in his life was about to begin, and he couldn't wait.

* * *

The sound of an engine revving before disappearing into the distance was what awoke Charles Xavier from his marathon of nightmares. As he looked around his darkened room he felt slightly dizzy. Whatever it was that had been forcing him to be a prisoner to his nightmares had lifted its power, yet it was so strong that the residue of the power left him drowsy.

A class 3 mutant had done this.

Sleep be damned. He needed to return to Cerebro and try see what was happening beneath his very nose.

* * *

He'd been driving for hours on end, and the sun now lit the pink sky. With some money that the professor had given him he would have to go to a bar and get a beer, maybe even breakfast, if he was feeling up to a change in his routine. It was odd, once he'd entered Scott's car Jean's voice had died, and her haunting had ceased.

The highway was abandoned at that time of morning but that was how he enjoyed it. Music played as he smoked a cigar, window open. Logan's head was filled with questions that he couldn't answer. He didn't have a clue to take him to someone who knew about his past. Where was he going to go?

"How about breakfast before deciding what direction to go first? I'm hungry."

Cursing and stepping on the brakes, the car swerved dangerously until it came to an abrupt stop. Turning in his seat, claws out, Logan's eyes widened when he saw Genie looking at him slightly amused. "It talks." Getting over his shock, Logan narrowed his eyes. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"It's called _sitting_. What are _you_ doing?"

"It talks _too_ much." Growling, Logan retracted his claws with a sigh. "Why didn't you talk when the professor wanted you to talk while back at the mansion?"

Climbing over to the front passenger's seat, Genie turned her large eyes on him. "If I spoke then I would have to answer a lot of questions that I didn't want to answer. So I realized that the only way to keep from being bombarded by a lot of curious questions that would invade my privacy I decided to play mute. Because, from what I was able to read of your memories, you realize that there are some things that a person wouldn't want to speak about."

"Cheeky." Smirking with approval, Logan raised an eyebrow. "You _do_ realize that everyone in the mansion are going to believe that I kidnapped you."

"No. I left my godfather Charles a little note. He'll understand in time." Leaning against her seat, she took in a deep breath. For a moment darkness covered her eyes, then when she blinked they returned to normal. "I'm hungry. Let's stop at the next place that sells food."

Now it was his time to look amused. "And who says that I'm taking you with me?"

"You need me." Not meeting his eyes, a cold entered the car for a moment before the heat returned.

Against his better judgment Logan shook his head and started the car once again. Even though he wouldn't usually allow a stowaway to stay onboard, his instincts warned him that she was speaking seriously. How he could need a midget, he didn't know, but he decided not to take chances. "You stay with me on _five_ conditions. One: You do everything I tell you to, no ifs, ands, or buts. Two: No more reading my mind…at least without my consent. Three: I'm not going to financially support you, you're going to have to do something to earn your stay. Four: You get into contact with the professor right away and explain that you were the one who ran away and that I am in no way a kidnapper. And Five…Five…" He'd lost his train of thought.

"Five: keep yourself out of trouble."

He narrowed his eyes. "What did condition number two say again smart ass?"

"_So-rry_." She grumbled, folding her arms over her chest, pouting childishly. "But I have a condition as well."

Honestly, the kid was amusing him more and more. "Oh, and what's that, midget?"

"I don't want you calling me Genie." She responded seriously. "Genie was who I used to be before my biological mother was killed and I escaped. I'm not that girl anymore. My adoptive parents renamed me, and while it's an odd name, I prefer that one."

Logan frowned as he watched the young girl lost in memories. So she hadn't been in that hellhole since her disappearance. "If you managed to escape why didn't you get into contact with the Professor?"

"I was five." Genie gave him a glare. "I didn't know his name or where he lived. I only knew my aunt as 'Aunt Jean' and I was sure my mother's name was 'mommy'. I also didn't have a hold on my telepathy at the time and would have needed a prior connection with my godfather anyway, which I didn't have.

Wolverine blinked. That sounded complicated. They made telepathy seem so easy in the movies.

"When the police and social services couldn't find anyone who knew me I was put in an orphanage, but I was a lucky one, I got adopted quickly after by dentists." She continued, a smile on her face as she remembered her adoptive parents.

Dentists? Go figure. "So how did you end up in that cage?"

She winced. "I was discovered and taken, my parents didn't make it."

The male mutant sighed. She'd had a tough life, and she was still so young. "So, midget, what's this name you prefer?"

She smiled softly. "Hermione, Hermione Granger."

"_Hermione_. Too long. Just'll call ya 'Mione." Getting back onto the road, he kept his eyes on the horizon. "I saw a sign back there that said that there was a bar up ahead."

"Great."

Pressing the accelerator he looked in the review mirror. "I don't know if the money the professor gave me is going to last long now that you decided to runaway with me against my will."

"There's a couple of hundreds in the ashtray."

This surprised him. "You looked?"

"No."

Sending her a sideways glance after opening the ashtray to find that indeed there was a waddle of money hidden inside, he smirked, closing it once more and returning his attention to driving. "We might make a good team after all, Hermione Granger."

_I'm sorry godfather. I had to do it, and you would have stopped me if I would have told you. Believe me, he needs me. I'll be okay, I promise. If things works out __**everything**__ will be okay._

That message echoed off of Cerebro the moment he entered. Xavier watched as for the first time, Genie appeared on Cerebro, arms folded, sitting in a car driven by a reluctant Logan.

"What are you up to, my little girl?" Charles Xavier wondered, looking up at his goddaughter.

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Hello everyone! This is the end of this chapter! Did you like it? I only have to right the epilogue for this story, and then it will be the end! Cries. I sorta got attached to the story while I was writing it, I fell in love with Scogue! Oh well, I still haven't finished it, I still need to write the epilogue! Oh, and I'm thinking about making this into a series. I got inspired by X3! If you're interested in reading the next book in the series you can put me on your author alert or you can keep on looking at my page. They'll be more information after the epilogue.

**shadowglove**

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	9. Chapter 9: A Marriage and an End?

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone who belongs in the Xmen movies, cartoons or comic strips. I don't own anything Harry Potter or 'Elektra' either, really, I don't.**

Wow…the _last_ chapter…cries…I'm going to miss this story! I sorta grew attached to it, another reason I didn't want to finish it! But here is the last chapter…OF THE FIRST BOOK IN A SERIES! Okay, I'm _hoping_ to make a series out of this. Some people from other movies/comics/cartoons might appear briefly in some of the other stories. Well, when you finish this chapter read the little note I left, please?

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The wedding took place in the gardens and a mutant reverend, spiked red tail and all, performed the romantic ceremony. The witnesses had been quite shocking, for there was Bobby signing for Rogue, and Logan, who had refused to wear a 'monkey suit' signed for Scott, telling the other man that he didn't know how much trouble he'd just given himself, getting hitched with the mischievous Rogue. Yet the friendly smile Scott returned showed the audience that he was willing, and looking forwards, to that trouble.

Though she'd refused the prestigious offer of flower girl, 'Mione (whom everyone kept stubbornly calling 'Genie') _had_ participated in the ceremony…if you could count partially healing the knee of the small ring bearer when he'd fallen down the aisle while bringing the rings to the future spouses. The realization that she couldn't control her powers ticked off the young girl to no end, and she spent the rest of the service trying to figure out the reason why she couldn't control them.

Momentarily distracted by the announcement of the throwing of the bouquet, Hermione smiled at her mutant godfather, wondering how her other one was. Shaking her head she returned her attention to the screaming females, and looking around to make sure that no one was paying attention to her, she concentrated on the bouquet as it flew from Rogue's hands, into the air, and onto an unexpected Storm's head as she reached for a drink that Kurt brought her. Hermione frowned, she'd meant for the bouquet to fall in the woman's hands.

_Why can't I control my powers?_

Laughter and teases rose from the air, and Storm looked down blinkingly at the bouquet as she bent down and picked it up slightly confused, not even having noticed that Rogue had thrown it. Her eyes met with Kurt's and they both blushed, looking away.

Jubilee, Kurt's ex girlfriend, glared at the couple.

Hermione bit her lip, eyebrows nearly touching in a guilty frown. Maybe she shouldn't have intervened like that.

Her eyes went around the crowd. She hadn't seen them in five months—almost six. She'd been with Logan on his journeys, and while he was exceedingly annoying she'd grown a soft spot for him. When during one of her long telepathic conversations with her godfather he'd mentioned Rogue's and Scott's soon marriage, and how Scott wanted Logan as his witness, Hermione had almost had to force Logan back, but he'd gone back on his own will.

"Hey."

Turning she met blue eyes. "Hello."

He sat next to her and for a moment he was silent. "I want to thank you, you know--."

"Forget about it." Realizing that this wasn't necessary, she smiled and placed her hand on Bobby's. "How are you doing now? Are you feeling better?"

Once again he was silent for a moment, then he just shook his head, a small smile appearing. "I'm actually doing a lot better. I was able to be Rogue's witness and be _sincerely_ happy for both of them. Scott and I talked things over the day after, after you left, and we've become something like friends. I'm actually thinking about staying on as the new Mathematic teacher."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "But isn't _Scott_ the Mathematic teacher?"

"Ya, but he's going to become the teacher of Astronomy, it's a new class. So since I'm his best student I was offered the job, and I think I'm going to accept it." Reaching for the drink the winged waitresses were handing out, he passed one to her as well. "What about you? Are you planning on staying here or are you going to be running off with Wolverine again?"

"Our time to stay hasn't arrived yet. Things still need to happen before the next links can join." Ignoring his curiosity to her words, she sniffed the drink. "They're serving out alcohol?" Noticing for the first time that Logan was not out of hearing, and that he _had_ heard that…and was heading towards her with determination…she quickly tipped her head and drank down the strong liquid. Passing Logan the empty glass when he arrived by her side, Hermione made a face and held at her throat, coughing slightly. "Sorry." She said, whether to Bobby or Logan it wasn't sure. "I just needed to see what all the fuss was about." Clearing her burning throat, she gave a sheepish smile when she noticed her godfather eyeing her disapprovingly.

"There aint no fuss over Champaign. That's for sissies." Logan answered back.

Making a face at him, Hermione felt slightly dizzy. "I'll have to steal one of your beers next time then."

--

"Damn little midget, cheeky too." Logan mumbled as he threw away the empty glass, watching as Bobby and 'Mione danced together, laughing. Everyone was so happy and he sat at one of the tables with the professor, growing annoyed since the professor had scolded him and interrogated him on whether 'Mione had become alcoholic with him.

"Oh Logan, its so nice to see you here again." Storm announced with a smile as she sat down next to them, face flushed from the dancing. Ever since the music had started she hadn't left the dance floor until now, changing dance partners multiple times until her feet were killing her and a heel was threatening to break.

"If it wasn't that it's Stripes that's getting hitched, and I wanted to see that for myself, I wouldn't be back." Taking a gulp of the beer in his hands, his eyes went to Rogue and Scott, who were dancing happily in each other's arms, giving each other those disgustingly sweet looks that made Logan sick at his stomach. God forbid he ever look at anyone like that. "Our schedule has been busy. We've got another clue; this time it's a woman, a woman that's named Elektra. Seems she's some big time assassin or something like that, she's probably the type of woman I would have known before losing my memory."

"Elektra?" For the first time since Storm had come, Xavier spoke, forgetting that he had scolded Logan for 'Mione's first taste of alcohol. "I've heard of her. She studied under a friend of mine, Sensei Stick. This woman Elektra was brought from the dead and fought against The Hand, proving to be one of the greatest warriors ever to have lived. Stick speaks highly of her."

"Whether anyone speaks highly of her or not, the midget and I got a contact information that seems to be worth its weight in gold. We know where she is and we're going to go there as soon as this is finished." Rather bored with the marriage, Logan's instincts were crying for the road.

"I'd be careful with her, Logan." Charles Xavier announced. "She's an assassin."

"And _I'm_ not?" Logan wanted to know, taking another long sip of his beer.

"_Genie's_ not." The older man once more scolded, wondering, not for the first time, why his goddaughter insisted on going with Logan, why was she so sure that he needed her?

"The midget might be young but she's able to take care of herself, not that I don't keep an eye on her, so don't give me that look old man. Plus, she wants to be called _Hermione_, you should respect that." Putting down his third empty can of beer, Logan looked around for more. "All we want is to get out of here."

Storm made a face. "She's just a child, Logan. She shouldn't be exposed to all that violence and danger. She should be here studying with us, staying safe."

"I'll remind you that _she_ stowaway in my car--."

"_Scott's_ car." Xavier reminded.

"Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten about that little detail." Then shaking his head, Logan sighed. "Look, I understand you Storm, and you professor, being her godfather and all, but she's a big girl now, and she's actually a good help. It's amazing how much you can get out of someone when you have someone with you who can--."

Xavier placed his hand up. "I don't want to know what you've made my goddaughter do."

A smirk appeared on Logan's face. "Well, it really isn't much. She doesn't have much control over her powers."

"_Exactly_ why she should be here and not out there with you." Storm announced passionately. "It's dangerous when a mutant can't control their powers, _especially_ if they are powers as strong and hers. She should stay here and learn to dominate her powers."

"And who is going to teach her? _You_? The professor? Scott?" Logan asked with an angry snort. "The only one who could have taught her to control her powers was Jean, and she's dead."

There was an uncomfortable silence before Storm reached across the table and placed her hand over Logan's surprising everyone, especially herself. "I know that you loved Jean, Logan, and I also know that the reason you like having Genie around is because she reminds you of Jean. But think of Genie, she deserves better than having to live out your life's mystery. She deserves to start a life of her own, _here_."

"Good luck convincing her on that, Doctor Phil." Jerking his hand from hers, Logan stood from the table. "I'm going to get some sleep and first thing morning I'm gone. And if I were you I wouldn't be overly surprised if she doesn't decide to stay." He looked up at the sunny, cloudless sky. "Lovely weather." And with that he left the celebration and a sad Storm.

--

Dancing with her husband, Rogue couldn't believe it. She'd gotten married. Scott was her _husband_. A smile appeared on her face as she leaned her head against his shoulder, sighing with happiness as he pulled her closer to him. Their bodies aligned perfectly, as if they had been made for each other. And deep inside her she believed that they _had_ been made for each other. From before their birth they'd been predestined to be with the other, there was no other solution for their happy ending, for their happiness.

"You're not sleepy, are you?" Scott asked with a chuckled as his hands lowered down her back, resting around her hips, as he pulled her closer to him. "I hope you aren't. Because I don't plan on letting you sleep all night. It _is_ our honeymoon tonight, and I'm planning on tiring you more than before."

Blushing Rogue wondered how he could be any _more_ intense. Having moved in with him some months ago she'd found out how insatiable he could be, and she wondered how he planned on tiring her more than usual. "I'm far from sleepy." She was silent for a moment, memories of sadder times returning. "I can't believe that we're married. I—I can't believe that I found someone who loved me when I was Untouchable."

"And I can't believe that I found someone who taught my dead heart that it wasn't wrong to love again." He kissed her forehead, a happy expression on his face. "I really love you, Marie 'Rogue' Summers, and I promise to love you until the day that I die."

Those words filled her with happiness. "I love you too, Scott Summers. And you wont escape my love."

"I wouldn't want to. That's the only trap I don't ever want to get free from." Their lips touched as they expressed physically the love and passion they held for each other.

Ending the kiss when the music died out, Rogue looked up into her husband's face. Many times she wished that she could see his eyes and thus easily be able to read his emotions, his real feelings, yet now she didn't. Now she knew every muscle of his face, knew how to read him without having to look at his eyes. And she loved him so very much that she hardly ever remembered that she couldn't look at him in his eyes, or that she didn't even know what color they were. For her those things were unnecessary details. She loved him just the way he was.

Sighing happily she closed her eyes and continued to dance when the next song began.

--

Waking up with a start, Rogue looked around the darkened room and then down at her sleeping husband, sleeping mask on. Glad that he was alive and safe and sound, she narrowed her eyes, feeling the angry red heat that had tried killing her in her sleep had been repelled by a sweet, cold green light. Had it been only a nightmare?

Looking down at her naked skin, her hands were red and slightly tender from when she'd tried defending herself from the heat.

It hadn't been a dream.

Worried she debated whether to turn on the light or not, but not wanting to disturb Scott's rest she sat in the darkness of their room, shivering in fear. The heat seemed to still prevail the room, yet cool circled around her, and a slight green mist encircled the bed, pushing back the red heat until both of them disappeared through the walls, and everything returned to normality.

What had just happened?

Turning in bed, Scott groaned and felt for Rogue, frowning when he felt that she was sitting up. A yawn was heard. "Rogue? Are you alright?"

"Of course I am sweetie. I just had a bad dream that's all." Lying back down and cuddling against him, Rogue closed her eyes, feeling safe when his arm went around her protectively and pulled her even tighter against him.

"You sure?" His voice was sleepy yet worried all at the same time as he spoke against her ear, tickling her.

"Yes, it's all over now." Speaking breathily when he started alternating from nibbling on her ear to nibbling on the skin behind it, Rogue gulped slightly, closing her eyes in ecstasy.

"Oh no, baby. It's only started." And with that, Scott rolled on top of her, mouth on hers as he aligned himself with her and pushed inside, a little groan on pleasure escaping him at her velvety entrance, at the way she clutched as him, bringing him in further. "I love you Rogue, no matter what happens in the future, I'll always love you."

Whimpering beneath him, Rogue gave a little cry of pleasure when he began moving in and out at her with cruel slowness. "I love you too Scott, I love you so much."

--

In her room, Hermione shook her head. If its presence hadn't awoken her Rogue would have been dead. _Or more importantly, the baby inside her would be dead_. But from now on Rogue and the child would be safe, and that was all that mattered.

Lying down once more, the brunette sighed. The morning was soon upon them.

THE END

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**Hello! I hope that you all liked this story! Well, I've been really thinking about making this into a unique series and I already have an idea for book two: Adapting….or so far I have it named that. If you're interested in reading book two whenever I can get it out you can put me on your Author Alert or just keep checking my page. I hope that you all loved this story and will read my next one whenever it comes out. Thank you for all reading and reviewing. You were my inspiration to continue with this little story!**

**shadowglove**


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